


Rising From the Ashes

by sapphirerose1990



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Adult Frisk & Sans, Ambassador Frisk, Epic Quest with Frisk Sans and Papyrus, F/M, Female Frisk, Friends to Lovers, Frisk dealing with Insecurities., Humans No Longer Have Technology, Magic-User Frisk, Majority of the Story with Adult Frisk, Post Apocalyptic Surface, Prejudice Against Monsters (Undertale), Prologue Frisk as Child, Undertale Monsters on the Surface
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2016-12-28
Packaged: 2018-08-30 13:59:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 22,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8535886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphirerose1990/pseuds/sapphirerose1990
Summary: After being in the Underground for more than a century, Monsters are now free to see what the surface has turned into. Things have changed. While the Monsters prospered during their entrapment, Humans were not so lucky. In this post-apocalyptic world, magic users are being persecuted and fear is running rampant. Frisk must now stay determined to prevent another war.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Toby Fox's Undertale, this fanfiction focuses on the Before and After aspects of the game. It is the result of a pacifist play through only. The prologue recaps some of the early beginning of the game but only to tie it better with the story. It all started with the idea of what happened before Frisk fell down into the Underground and what happened later when all the Monsters became Free. How long were they Underground? Why did the Monsters and Humans fight originally? Why did the Humans fight with swords and spears when it was obvious there was advanced technology and even anime in the Underground? How long do the Monsters live for? If Asgore is seen fighting in the original War, how is he still alive? Well, this is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy my story. Thanks for reading!

The sound of crackling of magic echoed in the air. Like a fierce thunderstorm, it rattled the houses and woke people out of a sound sleep. Little Frisk crawled from her bed and peered out her window. It was happening again. She watched as the soldiers moved through her village, their shadows passing her in their line of marching procession. The blinding light from their magical fires made everything brighter than it was. Frisk could hear their pounding footsteps.

They were ransacking the houses again. Looking for recruits or supplies, the soldiers didn’t care and they killed anyone in their way. Frisk heard a scream and noticed her friend Tom, a neighbor boy, being dragged out of his house. He was 12 years old and tall for his age, the soldiers must have thought him valuable because they were fighting his mother and brother off determinedly.

“Please don’t take my son.” The mother wailed, “He’s much too young to fight your battles. I’ve already lost my husband; I can’t lose my son too. Let him go! Please let him go and leave us.” While his mother tried to rescue him, the boy who was being detained by the soldier bit the man’s hand as hard as he could. The soldier yelled in anger.

Looking at the cowering mother in disgust, he spat, “If this brat can fight back, he can fight in the war. You should be honored. He will be trained to be a useful soldier to defeat and kill the enemy. I will not ask again. Leave.” The soldier shoved the woman aside and she broke down in screams of anguish.

Frisk cowered, listening to the woman’s tears. She wasn’t the only one crying. More families were being separated at the soldiers went from house to house. Any minute now and they would be knocking on her door too. She just wanted this chaos to stop and panic welled up in her heart.

“Papa!” Frisk screamed, looking for her father. “Papa!”

Frisk ran through the house and was startled when he suddenly grabbed her and put his hand in front of her mouth. Papa’s eyes were fierce and angry. “Shh…Frisk. You have to be quiet now.” He started pulling her towards the back door. “You need to leave. They are coming for you too.”

Her papa gestured towards the large mountain in the distance. “I want you to run towards Mt. Ebott. It is the only place the soldiers won’t go, they are more scared of the Monsters then to be interested in chasing a little child like you. You have to be fast, you have to be silent. Get as far away from here as you can. Don’t let them force you to fight and kill in the name of our king.”

“But what about you?” Frisk whispered, “Aren’t you coming too?”

Her Papa looked at her sadly, “No, I’m going to hold them off. Now go. I love you, sweetheart.”

Frisk hugged her Papa for the last time when the front door banged open. Soldiers started pouring into their little dwelling and her father’s hands were now burning with glowing red magic. He tossed the magic towards the soldiers and with one long lingering look, Frisk ran out the door as fast as her legs could carry her. Angry shouts as the soldiers pursued but Frisk did not dare turn her head. A fireball whizzed past her ear, the magic sending out sparks in all directions. Frisk screamed in pain.

The sparks were too close to her eyes and now they burned. She could hardly see. Fire flew around her face as the fireballs rained down and the shouts of her neighbors were fading in the distance. Managing to get farther away, the soldiers soon stopped attacking and she could focus on climbing the mountain. Higher and higher she climbed, scrambling to the top. It was treacherous climbing. 

Rocks fell and Frisk nearly lost her balance before managing to grab hold of the edge and pull herself up. Panting with exhaustion, the girl finally dared to look down.

She hadn’t realized how high she climbed. The village was only a small dot on the horizon. Frisk could see the smoke rising in a large dark plume and flames turning buildings into ash piles. Soldiers dotted the land in angry swarms and Frisk felt herself consumed with fear for her Papa. Papa couldn’t be dead. He was a strong magician; surely he could escape the soldiers. Even from her tall vantage point, she could just make out some people running away. She could not look for long though; her eyes were burning, causing her to squint painfully. Frisk rubbed her sore eyes. For a few minutes, Frisk stood at the edge of the mountain, unsure of what to do. 

She had reached her destination but what next? What now? Should she wait? Would Papa meet her here?

Frisk collapsed on the ground with exhaustion. Despite the mountain being rocky and harsh, there was a surprising amount of buttercups that covered the land. She sat down in the grass and idly twirled one of the little yellow flowers in her fingers. It was peaceful here. Even if it was chilly and the wind blew fierce, it was a far better place to be then her now burning village home. The wind blew her short brown hair and behind her, she could hear the wind causing the mountain to make a low moaning sound. It was coming from a large cave nearby. Curious, Frisk got up to investigate. That sound was unlike anything she had ever heard, it was kind of spooky.

Remembering the old legends, Frisk wondered about the Monsters. Where they inside this cave?

Papa told her about the Monsters underground, locked forever underneath the mountain. They could be there, looking back at her but she did not see anything. It was too dark and the cave seemed to go on forever. Still, it seemed like an awful place to be. Were the Monsters waiting for her to come inside? Were they dangerous or were they nice? Perhaps they would not hurt her.

“Hello?” She called, half wanting to run away. Still her curiosity got the better of her. “Hello?”

Only the sound of the wind in the cave returned her voice. She could hear her hello echo over and over again. It seemed friendly enough. Hesitatingly, she started to walk inside. She placed her hand along the side of the cave trying to find her way in the growing darkness. Her heart beat fiercely in her chest. Fear and excitement colored her thoughts as she found herself on an incline. Down, down, down it went. The slope was making it hard to walk without stumbling. 

Suddenly the ground gave way completely into a large hole. Frisk tried to grab onto something, anything to stop her fall but there was nothing. There was a bright flash of what seemed to be magic but it was gone so fast, she couldn’t be sure. All she knew was that she was touching nothing but air and her screams echoed in the cave. There was a swoosh as her body met the waiting ground. Pain…that was the first thing she noticed. 

Pain and for some reason, even more buttercups covered the underground. A soft grassy mound of flowers broke her fall and Frisk felt dazed and confused. Where was she? Struggling to get to her feet, she looked up where she had fallen. It seemed as if she had fallen into the center of the Earth, for there was nothing but darkness. Tears and mud streaked her face as she looked around. She had fallen. How was she still alive? The fall alone should have killed her but she was okay.

She wandered around the cave and looked around curiously. Were there Monsters down here? A strange feeling came over her. It felt as if she was being watched; suddenly she saw a strange looking flower staring at her. It wasn’t like the others. This one had a face and was smiling at her, in an almost creepy way. “Howdy! I’m Flowey, Flowey the flower.” The plant chirped in a high pitched but seemingly friendly voice. “Hmm…you’re new to the Underground, aren’t cha?”

Frisk didn’t answer. Something was wrong but the flower didn’t notice.

“Golly you must be so confused.” Flowey continued, “Someone ought to teach you how things work around here! I guess little old me will have to do. Ready? Here we go!”  
White pellets shot out of Flowey, heading towards her. Frisk instinctively jumped out of the way. They stung as they flew past and the little girl looked at the flower in confusion and a bit of fear.

“Ow! Leave me alone.” She cried out. 

“Hey buddy, you missed them.” The flower kept on attacking, wanting her to run into the bullets but Frisk had been shot at too many times to fall for a trick like that. She knew a weapon when she saw one and she ran, avoiding attack after attack. Suddenly the Flower’s friendly face turned into one that was full of rage and hate. “You know what’s going on? Don’t cha? You wanted to see me suffer. You’re mocking me. I’ll kill you. It’s kill or be killed down here. You are dead.”

More bullets were shooting out of Flowey and Frisk cowered down. Suddenly a ball of magic fire shot at the flower and Frisk could only look on in surprise. A friendly face was peering down at her, a goat woman. She glared at the flower. “What a horrible creature, torturing a poor innocent youth…” The woman murmured. “Do not be afraid my child, I’m Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins. I come here every so often to see if anybody had fallen down. You’re the first to fall down in a long time. I hope you’re not hurt. That was a long way to fall. Please, come with me.”

Unsure of what to make of Toriel, Frisk followed the goat woman and peered back at Flowey. The flower was glaring at her but for some reason he seemed sad. Was he sad because she had gotten away? He wanted to kill her but despite his threats, Frisk felt something like sympathy. 

“Come along child, we have much to discuss.” Toriel went on. “We may be trapped here but I hope you will find happiness here in the underground. I can assure you, not all Monsters are like that horrible plant. Most of us only want peace and I will teach you how to defend yourself if a Monster attacks. You’ll find that killing is not the answer. Monsters strive for a peaceful life.”

“A peaceful life,” Frisk echoed wistfully. “I haven’t known a peaceful life for a very long time.”


	2. Chapter 2

Despite knowing that her Papa was probably dead, Frisk did not stop feeling a bit of hope that maybe she was wrong. She didn’t actually see him die. The town was engulfed by flames but people managed to escape, she saw the tiny figures running in the distance when she stood on the mountain top. Her Papa needed her and she was determined to escape the underground prison. Luckily she had friends to help her. 

A pacifist by nature, she made friends with the Monsters and slowly but surely, she found her way out. She didn’t know how long she stayed in the underground. There was no sun to tell day from night but Frisk knew it had been many days. When Frisk led the way to the surface, there was a hushed reverence among the crowd of Monsters. This was it. This was what they had dreamt about for decades. They were finally free.

The land around Mt. Ebott was especially quiet while the group traveled onwards. Since the sun had long since set, the stars were just now starting to appear in the summer sky. With the full moon shining and the stars twinkling, it looked as if magic itself covered the sky instead of the constellations. The Monsters looked about in a silent wonder. Most had not seen the heavens in many, many years. As Toriel patiently explained, the amount was roughly one Human lifetime.

“Do you remember the war?” Frisk asked, curiously. She held onto the goat mother’s hand, trying to keep up. “It was mentioned in the Human history books but it was always blaming the Monsters. After meeting you, I don’t understand. Why can’t Monsters and Humans be friends?”

Toriel looked down at her sadly. “My child, sometimes wars are born from misunderstandings. Monsters had strong magic and while we tried to be peaceful, the Humans were afraid of us. We do not look like them, we did not act like them and that scared them. People fear what they do not understand and when they are afraid, people attack. It’s a sad fact and I wish it was not so.”

“I wasn’t afraid of you.” Frisk said matter of factly. “My papa told me that Monsters were like anybody else. Some could be mean but most were usually good. If we see any Humans, I’ll make sure you to tell them you are nice Monsters. Then they won’t attack us for misunderstanding!”

“Thank you Frisk… you are a very sweet child.” Toriel said softly, her eyes were wet with tears.

Asgore listened to the conversation, his eyes on Toriel and Frisk and he could not help but feel apprehensive as they left the safety of the mountain. Despite Frisk’s assurances that she would support their claim for freedom, it did not lessen that uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. How could one child keep the Humans from attacking if they saw Monsters back on the surface? The farther they traveled from the mountain, the more the ground changed from grass and flowers to the charred remains of a land ravaged by fire and war. Some of the Monsters were whispering but Toriel gave them a stern look. 

“My child, are we close to your village yet?” She asked kindly. “You mentioned it was nearby. Perhaps it is behind that hill over there yonder?”

“No…we’re here.” Frisk whispered. “My village was attacked on the day I left for Mt. Ebott. I knew that it was under fire but I just thought that maybe… some of it… was saved. Everything is gone. The houses, the big tree that I used to climb on, even the people; it is like my home never even existed.” Tears started falling down the little girl’s face. “Why? Why did all this happen?" Frisk cried softly and Toriel hugged the girl close. 

All the Monsters gathered around, looking at what was left of Frisk’s village. Despite it being a few days ago, the ground was hot to stand upon and all that remained of the human homes was the smell of smoke and scorched buildings. King Asgore studied the burned village and his eyes grew furious. 

“Humans have abused the right to have magic.” Asgore roared. The Monsters nodded, listening. “Years ago we offered them hope when things became difficult. When the coal, oil and natural gas became no more, we helped them by teaching them magic but look at this. They imprisoned us and turned on each other! If we are lucky, during our century long imprisonment the Humans have killed themselves off and we won’t have to deal with those horrible creatures ever again!”

“Asgore!” Toriel snapped. “Frisk lost her family and her village to the Humans’ war. I know you are angry but we must treat this situation delicately. Think of how Frisk must feel!”

Startled by Toriel’s outburst, Asgore’s anger faded and he looked at the sad little girl that was cradled in her arms. She was watching him with such devastated eyes, that it broke his heart. His eyes became gentle and apologetic. “I-I’m very sorry Frisk. I was not thinking of what you must be going through but at least you are not alone. We are still here and we will take care of you.”

“We love you Frisk.” Toriel assured her gently. Frisk hugged her, wiping the tears from her eyes. “I’m sorry your home is gone but we will build a new home. We will be your family too, if you want. I know we can’t replace your real family but we will love you just the same. Is that okay?”

Frisk nodded her head somberly. “I love you too.”

“Cheer up kiddo.” Sans said, he and Papyrus noticing the girl’s sad expression. “I know we’re not much but at least you won’t be bonely. See, Papyrus and I, we love you too. You are a good kid. You are full of love and that’s what matters the most in this world.” 

Papyrus scowled at his brother but gave Frisk a reassuring smile. “DESPITE MY BROTHER’S PUN, I AGREE WITH HIS SENTIMENT, SMALL HUMAN! WITH US BESIDE YOU, WE SHALL GO EXPLORE THE WORLD AND SEE WHAT IT HAS TO OFFER. WE WILL TRY EVERY PASTA DISH THERE IS AND TASTE THAT SWEET FLAVOR OF FREEDOM!”

Despite the sadness in her heart, Frisk could not help but smile as Papyrus dramatically waved his arms and pointed in the direction of land untouched by battle. It seemed that in the land beyond the village there were still fields of grass and lush forests. Monsters looked longingly at the land in the distance. Most wanted to continue onward but Toriel and Asgore would only move when Frisk was ready. The girl was now staring at the burned up remains of her old home.

“If you could live anywhere Frisk, where would you want to live?” Toriel asked gently. “You know this land much better than any of us. Where should we make our new home?”

The girl looked at her new family, her face scrunched up in thought. “I…I have always wanted to visit the ocean. Maybe we can make our new home there? There's nothing left for me here. Papa would not want me to stay in a place all burned up and Mama...Mama and my big sister died a long time ago. I guess it's just me now."

Toriel cradled Frisk in her arms, hugging her gently. “That is a wonderful idea! Yes, I think living near the ocean would suit us just fine and I happen to know quite a few Monsters that would love being in such an environment. To have both land and sea, we could be happy there.”

“Monsters like Onionsan!” Frisk chirped. “He can finally have a place to swim!”

Toriel nodded in agreement. Turning to the king, she exchanged a glance with Asgore. “What do you think? Should we make our home near the ocean? It might be far; do you suppose we can make the move alright? Some of the smaller Monsters might not be able to keep up with us.”

Asgore looked thoughtful. “I suppose we can leave a few Monsters near the mountain. Undyne can protect them while we go on ahead to look for this new place. Once we found the location of our new home, the smaller Monsters can join us at their own speed. While they come, they can bring supplies and we can begin building our new community. Does that sound fair? I can go make the announcement. I am sure the Monsters are waiting very impatiently for us to decide!”

“Alright, that does sounds like a good idea.” Toriel smiled. “We’ll wait here.”

Noticing Toriel was smiling at him; Asgore grinned happily and walked back towards the waiting crowd. Meanwhile, Frisk was walking around with Sans and Papyrus close behind. Papyrus was talking adamantly and Sans was making the young girl giggle. It seemed as if the tears were gone, at least for a little while. 

“Be careful, don’t wander off too far!” Toriel called.

“We won’t go far!” Frisk yelled back. “Don’t worry Mother.”

Smiling softly, Toriel watched her adopted child run about with her friends. Escaping the underground would finally give them something they had needed for a long time. A fresh start for all of them, Frisk included. It was just as well that the humans were gone. Perhaps the hatred can finally end. She looked briefly up at the stars and admired the moon. It was all so beautiful.

“I wish you could see this Asriel.” Toriel whispered softly. “I wish you were here with us too.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's an early chapter. Happy Thanksgiving!

**Ten Years later...**

 

_“Go to the mountain…they won’t attack you at the mountain. They are too scared of the Monsters.” A little girl’s scream, a sharp pain burning her eyes and fire, fire was everywhere and the whole village burned. All that remained were ashes and the occasional buttercup flower._

Frisk opened her eyes and slowly looked around her room. She had that dream again. The nightmare, the memory from ten years ago that still haunted her. No matter how much she wanted to forget, the pain in her heart did not lessen. Lying curled up, with her head on her pillow, she tried to remind herself that she was safe. Closing her eyes, Frisk whispered, “Papa.” Her Papa was gone. He was never coming back,

The dream was already fading. The fear disappeared when she realized that she was not being pursued by those horrible soldiers that killed her family. Instead, she was looking at the warm sunshine streaming through her window and feeling the warm summertime breeze flow inside.

“Frisk? Are you up yet?” Toriel called. “Come on down my birthday girl. The day’s a’ wasting!”

Sighing and getting up, the young woman rubbed her eyes and went to wash her face. Her eyes were still tearstained from her dream and her brown hair was tangled. She scowled at the reflection in the mirror, reaching for her brush and trying to forget the memory that lingered. It was so very long ago, why did she have to remember now? She was supposed to be happy today. Shaking her head, she rubbed her eyes and walked down stairs. Startled, she saw the whole house was decorated lavishly. There were purple balloons, pink streamers and hanging over the fireplace in big bold colorful letters, there was a sign that read “HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRISK!”

“Oh, good! You are finally awake!” Toriel said cheerfully. “Happy 20th birthday, my child!”

In her hands she was furiously stirring cake batter, bits of the brown goop stuck to her fur and she smiled happily. “I hope you do not mind. I’m baking you a cinnamon cake with butterscotch frosting. I know how much you like cinnamon and I just couldn’t wait to try out my new oven!”

Her enthusiasm was infectious and Frisk giggled. “That sounds like a wonderful idea Mother. You make the best cakes in all of Newer Home. I’m a bit confused though. I thought you did not like to use ovens, that you preferred fire magic to do your baking? Not that I particularly mind.”

Toriel laughed. “I know but these old human ovens are quite useful in maintaining the right temperature! Especially since Alphys refurbished this one for me. I’ve become spoiled by this technology and I am far less likely to burn my pies and cakes. I guess magic can only go so far!”

The goat woman’s warm laughter filled the room and Frisk, after such a terrible night, felt a sense of peace come over her. It was nice to be loved and already the wisps of the nightmare were starting to fade. Toriel noticed Frisk was lost in thought and looked over at her adopted daughter with concern. “Frisk, did I do something wrong? Would you prefer a chocolate cake?”

Frisk shrugged. “No, a cinnamon cake sounds good. I’m just thinking about going for a walk.”

“Alright,” Toriel said, returning to her baking. “But don’t forget your party is in a few hours!”

“As if I could forget.” Frisk muttered but she smiled and waved, leaving Toriel to finish the cake.

Hiking down to the beach, the young woman went to her favorite spot. The large flat rocks on the beach were warm, secluded and overlooked the ocean in a scenic way. She listened to the waves as they crashed against the shore and felt the wind through her thin brown hair. This was a good place to be, a good place to forget and conveniently, she did not have to deal with all the well-wishers on her birthday. Monsters were surprisingly enthusiastic when celebrating holidays. Closing her eyes for a moment, she dozed in the sun. It was so warm and comfortable. Frisk yawned and let the hypnotic sounds of the ocean calm her mind. At least until a voice woke her.

“Hey…I’d thought I’d _sea_ you here.” Sans teased, “You know Frisk, for a secret hiding place, it’s not really that secret. You always did suck at playing Hide and Go Seek.”

Frisk sat up and scowled at the intruder. “I wasn’t hiding. I just came here to clear my head.”

“Of course you weren’t.” Sans chuckled. “I just figured that you were hiding from the Monsters who wanted to wish you a happy birthday. I know you don’t like all the attention. It must be hard being the savior of our community. Your birthday has become a national holiday and of course, it’s not every day that you turn 20 years.”

Frowning, Frisk just starred at the ocean. “I still don’t know why they treat my birthday like a holiday. I’m flattered but the attention is overwhelming. I prefer the peace and quiet.”

“Do you want me to leave?” Sans asked. “I’ll go if you want me too but it might make you feel better if we talk. I can listen and if you have a bone to pick, then maybe I can help you. I know what it’s like to be troubled by bad dreams and sad memories.”

“How did you know it was a bad dream?” Frisk asked, surprised. He was sitting next to her now.

Sans smirked, looking pleased with himself. “I didn’t, but now I know what’s troubling you. So what was the dream about? You can tell old Sansy, I am a good listener.”

Frisk sighed reluctantly, “I was dreaming about my past and of Papa. I guess I still miss him.”

“You dreamt of Asgore?” Sans asked confused, “He’s only been gone for a few days.”

“No, I did not dream of Asgore.” Frisk said impatiently. “I was dreaming of my real Papa. My human father died in the battle that destroyed my village. He sacrificed himself so that I could escape. I wanted to believe he was still alive. I was determined to see him again but he’s dead.”

Sans was silent for a moment. “Papyrus and I…we lost our father too. Long before you fell into the underground, he was murdered. So I know how hard it is to lose someone. The Big War between Humans and Monsters nearly destroyed my species. There was so much loss, I wasn’t born then but I’ve heard all the terrible stories.”

Frisk hugged the Skeleton next to her, her arms wrapping around him as Sans gently rested his head on her shoulder. The warmth of the sun and his kind words were making her feel a bit better. “Thank you for telling me Sans. At least we have each other. I know it’s not easy. Even if my Papa died a long time ago…I still feel the pain. My dreams can remind me of that old pain.”

Sans took her hand then, threading his fingers with hers. He looked as if he wanted to say something but he was just staring at her with a strange expression on his face. Frisk looked at their now intertwined hands, feeling flustered by his intense gaze. “Is everything okay, Sans?”

“Welp…you see…tibia honest…there’s something I have been meaning to ask you.”

Frisk felt her heartbeat quicken and she looked into his eyes. “Oh?”

Before Sans could finish his thought, the two noticed something large swimming in the ocean. Smiling a cartoonlike smile, the Octopus Monster waved and started splashing his tentacles into the water. Sans was annoyed by this unexpected intrusion but Onionsan remained oblivious.

“Hey there Frisk! Sans! It’s your birthday Frisk. Happy Birthday y’hear! I just wanted to stop by and let you know. This is a really great place, huh?”

“Thanks Onionsan. I’m glad you are happy.” Frisk said, trying not to laugh at Sans’ expression. He was grumbling under his breath. “We’re off to celebrate with the others soon.”

“I wish I could see Newer Home…but the ocean is nice too.” Onionsan sighed wistfully. He swam back and forth to prove his point and there was a long awkward pause. Finally he waved his tentacles in the air. “I’m just so glad I got to see you today, it’s lucky that you stopped by, huh? Well, have some cake for me! Happy Birthday Frisk! Bye Sans!”

Onionsan disappeared back into the water and the moment he was gone, Frisk started laughing. She bumped Sans’ shoulder playfully. “Hehehe…Onionsan sure rattled your bones this time!”

“He can be so annoying!” Sans grumbled. “Couldn’t he see that we were talking here?”

Frisk shrugged. “He’s just lonely. Being an ocean Monster must be hard if you can’t be part of the rest of the community. Besides, I think it was sweet that he wanted wish me happy birthday.”

Sans scowled at the ocean but Frisk noticed something was bothering him.

“Did you have something you wanted to tell me Sans? Before Onionsan came over? Is that it?”

Startled, the skeleton shook his head. “What? Um…no, never mind. S’not really that important anyway. I just have a lot on my mind. Besides, don’t we have a party to get to? I know Tori won’t be happy if I kept ya here too long. Shall we go back?”

Frisk sighed and nodded reluctantly. She stood alongside Sans, holding both his hands as his blue magic swept around them. Within seconds Frisk found herself pulled into her bedroom. It was as if she had never left and somehow, she felt sad. Sans looked a bit depressed too and Frisk was growing worried by his reluctance to open up. He wouldn’t meet her eye and was staring at the ground, his hands now in his pockets. Doubt flashed across Frisk’s mind. Was he mad at her?

“If there’s something wrong… you’d tell me, right?” Frisk said nervously. “I can listen too.”

“It’s nothing.” San’s said, smiling sheepishly. “I’m just being a bonehead. Now you go on down and enjoy that party. There are still some very special, top secret birthday things that I need to do. I’ll see ya later Frisky.” He winked, amused when Frisk blushed at her old nickname.

“Don’t call me Frisky!” She scolded. “I’m not a kid anymore.”

The Skeleton just winked mischievously and in a wisp of his blue magic, he disappeared again, leaving the young woman to go on downstairs and meet the crowd that had already gathered below. Toriel was holding a cake with 20 colorful candles lit and the moment she came into the kitchen, the whole Monster community cheered and yelled “HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRISK!”

Frisk smiled and went to meet her friends. As Toriel started serving the cinnamon cake with butterscotch frosting, she gave her adopted daughter a knowing look. “Did you have a nice walk, my child? You looked very happy when you got back. I saw that smile when you came down.”

She gave a large piece of cake to Papyrus who happily started munching on it within seconds. He wasn’t the only one; the line to receive a piece of Toriel’s cake was growing. Everybody loved her cooking. However, Toriel’s eyes were only on Frisk. The young woman was now looking at Sans wistfully as he chatted with Undyne and Alphys.

“Yes, I guess I needed to clear my head.”

Toriel smiled coyly, “Your happiness would not be because of a certain Skeleton…would it?”  
“Hmmm…wait…what?” Frisk stuttered, “I don’t know what you…”

Toriel gave her an amused look and Frisk turned away uncomfortably.

“Has Father come back yet?” Her daughter asked, changing the subject. “I heard he went to the southern edge of the kingdom because there was trouble, something about Human armies attacking the Monsters living there. Is that true?”

Toriel frowned. “That’s not something we should discus on your special day.” She said disapprovingly, “Your father hasn’t returned yet but he should be home after nightfall. Now come, have some cake. It’s your party…you should be having fun. Open presents, dance to Napstablook’s music, talk to your friends! Now is not the time or place to talk about politics!”

Embarrassed, Frisk nodded. “I’m sorry Mother. You all made such a fuss for my birthday, I guess I’m being selfish if I ruin everyone’s good time by talking about war. Forgive me?”

Toriel laughed and gave her a hug. “There’s nothing to forgive, my child. I know you are merely curious. Now if I were you, I would go and open Papyrus’ gift. He’s been standing over there looking quite impatient to grab your attention.” The goat woman pointed out, giggling a little.

Papyrus, dressed in his usual armor was holding an impressively wrapped gift. Along with being covered with bows and ribbons, the paper was dotted with little cartoon bones. Sans shuffled next to his brother, his hands were in his pockets and he watched them both with amusement.

Papyrus took a deep breath and in his most regal voice, “MAY I PRESENT TO YOU FRISK…THE AMAZING AND FANTASTIC GIFT, GIVEN TO YOU BY I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS…AND SANS. WE HOPE YOU’LL ENJOY OUR GIFT AND FIND IT USEFUL!”


	4. Chapter 4

With Papyrus gaining the attention of every Monster in the room, Frisk found all eyes watching her as the taller Skeleton presented her the gift. She smiled awkwardly. 

“Thanks guys. I’m sure I will love it.” She started to slowly unwrap the pretty gift, not wanting to tear the paper too much.

She must have been taking too long because Undyne yelled out from among the crowd. “Hurry up Nerd! We don’t have all day. What did the Skeletons get you? Is it a new kind of weapon?” Finally the paper fell away and Frisk found herself holding a book. It was really old but it was an elegant hardcover tome. There were designs on it that seemed to look like the ancient magical ruins that had Toriel taught her and the cover gleamed gold, reflecting off the light in the room.

“It’s beautiful!” Frisk breathed. “What kind of book is it?” 

“AN INSTRUCTION GUIDE TO MAGIC!” Papyrus explained, “WITH THIS BOOK, YOU ARE GUARANTEED TO LEARN HOW TO USE MAGIC AND BE STRONG AND POWERFUL LIKE I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS. IT IS HOW I LEARNED TO CAST SPELLS!”

“You want me to learn magic?” Frisk asked, uneasily, “I don’t know…what if I hurt someone?”

Sans gave her a sympathetic smile. “Learning magic is not about hurting others.” He told her patiently. “There’s a lot more to magic then violence. Like any other tool, it is how you use it. Papyrus might have picked the book out but if you’re willing, I was hoping that I’d be your teacher. If you want…that is. I think you’d be good at it.”

Toriel nodded her head. “I would have taught you myself but you seemed so reluctant to learn anything about magic. It is not evil if you learn how to use it properly. As a young woman, learning magic is an important skill. You might even find yourself needing to use it someday.”

Frisk sighed, looking at the book. “Yes…I suppose you are right. I needed to learn how to use magic eventually. I guess it’s a bit silly refusing to learn something that is so prevalent in our world and I shouldn’t expect others to be around to protect me if something terrible happens.”

“Magic has gotten me out of a few scrapes and with practice, you might even be able to learn how to teleport too.” Sans said, giving her a cheeky wink. “Of course, if you’d prefer, I can still take you along with me whenever I teleport. I don’t mind.”

Remembering the closeness of his body, Frisk blushed at the thought. Still, she was lucky nobody noticed. Most of the Monsters were all chatting excitedly about different ways they could teach their favorite Human how to do magic spells. Undyne was the most enthusiastic. “Once you’ve learned the basics,” Undyne began excitedly, “We can try sparing. It might have been ten years but I’m still waiting for a rematch! All you did was run when you were a kid; it was not a real fight. I wonder if you could create spears like me. They make great weapons!”

“Fire is much easier to create.” Toriel suggested calmly. “Don’t forget, Frisk is only a beginner.”

“NONSENSE! BONES ARE OBVIOUSLY THE SUPERIOR CHOICE FOR FRISK.” Papyrus butted in, annoyed that his gift was no longer the center of attention, “SHE’LL BE TAUGHT BY SKELETONS, SO IT MAKES SENSE THAT SHE’LL LEARN HOW TO FIGHT LIKE ONE!”

As the group of Monsters argued, Frisk backed away uneasily. Despite the good intentions from her friends and family, she couldn’t help feeling like she was being forced into learning magic. They were already discussing her curriculum and what it should look like; they acted like she wasn’t in the room and that it wouldn’t affect her. Didn’t they care about her opinion at all? Anxious by the situation, Frisk was startled when Sans gently touched her shoulder. “Want to get out of here?” He whispered. Frisk nodded and felt the familiar sensation of teleporting.

The moment they returned to her room, Frisk went to sit on her bed. She groaned and put her hands over her face. She could still hear everyone arguing downstairs. “I wish they would stop telling me what I should or should not learn. Nobody even bothers asking me what I want to do. Sometimes…Sometimes I just feel like I’m their favorite pet, the one to play with and dote on.”

Sans frowned. “I don’t think of you like a pet.”

“I know you don’t Sans.” Frisk sighed. “I know they all love me and want to support me but it’s just hard for me to imagine myself like those fire wielding magicians that burned down my village. What if I can’t do it right? What if I fail? What if I manage to hurt someone accidentally?”

“You won’t hurt anybody.” Sans said confidently. “No bones about it, you are the gentlest person I have ever met. You feel guilty if you step on a bug in the middle of a road! I know that you won’t be reckless and I know that you will do everything in your power to not hurt someone, even if it was accidental. I believe in you Frisk.”

The young woman looked at the Skeleton and gave a small smile. “You knew I’d react like this, didn’t you Sans?” Frisk chuckled softly. “That’s why you were distracted earlier when we were at the beach. You wanted to tell me but you also didn’t want to spoil the surprise. You knew.”

Sans nodded, looking down guiltily. “I won’t force ya to learn magic if you don’t want to but I still think you’d be good at it. Give me a chance to teach you the right way.”

Frisk nodded, giving a sigh. “Alright Sans. I will learn but only because you are teaching me.”

Embarrassed, Sans nervously rubbed the back of his neck. “Aw shucks. I don’t even have more than 1 HP and you are acting like I’m this big tough Boss Monster. I think you are going to be a great magician Frisky. I’m honored to teach you. I just hope Tori doesn’t get too overprotective.”

Frisk chuckled. “Well, Mother should have thought about that before she wanted me to learn magic. I will be fine. Knowing her, she’d probably go too easy on me. She does worry so much.”

“Tori’s been through a lot.” Sans explained sadly. “She’s lost many loved ones. It’s no wonder that she is so protective of her last remaining child. You might not be her blood but she loves you more than anything. I wouldn’t be surprised if she watches your lessons in case you get hurt.”

Listening to the arguing that was going on downstairs, Frisk mused thoughtfully for a moment.

“Would it be okay if you train me in secret? Perhaps we could do it at my hiding spot? I know every Monster is going to want to participate but I think it would be better if it was just you and me. Then there would be less pressure. Plus, I would not feel like such a failure if I screw up.”

Sans shrugged, “I don’t like the idea of telling fibulas but…I can understand your reasoning. I also like the idea of Papyrus getting annoyed with me. Unless he actually sees me working, he thinks I’m a lazybones. Which of course I am, but I do occasionally work. I don’t mind a little work if it involves training my Frisky and making her the best magician in all of Newer Home!”

Frisk rolled her eyes but smiled at his affectionate words. “So it’s a deal then.” Frisk said, looking relieved. “We can start tomorrow if you are up to it.”

Sans grinned, “I guess I’ll see ya then. Meet me at our secret spot after lunch tomorrow and we’ll get to practicing spell casting. I have an idea of how to start.”

Within a split second he teleported away and Frisk felt herself being actually excited. She wouldn’t mind spending her time on the beach with her best friend and the fact that nobody else would be there made it all the more thrilling. Her face was feeling hot and for a moment it confused her again. Why was she feeling all flustered over a magic lesson? Was it because she was learning magic for the first time or was it something else…or perhaps was it someone else? Was it because Sans was her teacher? She remembered the comforting hug at the beach and how understanding he could be. She smiled at the idea of being with him in private. She did not want to learn magic but somehow, if it was Sans who taught her…then it was okay. She trusted him.

“Frisk, are you in there?” Toriel called through the closed door. “I’m sorry if we overwhelmed you. I know how uneasy you are by magic but people are starting to leave now. It might be a good idea if you come out and say goodbye. We do not want to seem rude to all of our friends.”

After a minute, Frisk opened the door and hugged Toriel warmly. “I’m coming Mother. I’m sorry I left. I just wanted to talk to Sans about the whole thing. I was feeling uncertain but I realize it’s important to learn how to protect myself and the ones I love.”

Toriel beamed happily, “Now that’s the spirit! See? It is all how you look at it! You’ll do fine.”

Frisk nodded and held the goat mother’s hand as they went downstairs to say goodbye to the guests. Most had already started to go home. Waving and wishing her luck with her magic lessons, they departed. Alphys and Undyne were two of the last to leave, giving some last minute advice on how best to cast spells and to avoid mishaps. “It’s all about the aim.” Undyne said sagely, “You just have to imagine your opponent dying a horrible death and boom, you did it.”

“Or you could just practice a lot.” Alphys added shyly. “I-I know it can be really hard at first.”

“That’s good to know.” Frisk said politely, “Thanks for the tips. I’ll be sure to do my very best.”

When there was nobody in the house but Toriel and Frisk, the young woman gave a sigh of relief and plopped down on the couch. It was finally peaceful after such a loud party and while she appreciated all the love, there was something to be said of the silence that came from solitude.


	5. Chapter 5

Frisk knew when King Asgore had returned. 

It was in the middle of the night and Toriel, who had stayed up waiting for him was already scolding him for his lateness. Frisk could hear them downstairs; their whispers were growing loud and urgent as they discussed the latest situation. The very situation Toriel avoided discussing, the fear of Humans attacking and declaring war. Father was very upset and Toriel was doing her best to calm him down. Their relationship had improved over the years but she was still tense at the idea of war. She offered Asgore a cup of yellow flower tea and stood behind him, rubbing his back in a comforting way. The large goat man sat huddled at the kitchen table with his cup of steaming tea, his sad eyes were downcast.

Frisk watched the two of them from the stairs, finally making her way to the kitchen. “Father? What’s wrong?” She asked, her voice full of worry and concern. She hated seeing her Father sad.

Asgore looked up and put on a smile. “Frisk! I didn’t see you there. I’m sorry I wasn’t home in time for your party but I picked you up a present. It’s on the table. I hope I did not wake you.”

Toriel hovered nearby, her hands clasped. “You should go back to sleep Frisk. It’s very late.”

The young woman ignored her Mother and went to her Father. She gave him a hug and she felt his large arms wrap around her. His beard tickled her ear and she could feel him sobbing. His face was wet with tears and he could not stop crying. “I’ve done so many terrible things. I don’t deserve you or your Mother. Even after all these years I cannot seem to achieve a peaceful life.”

“What happened?” Frisk asked firmly. “It would be better if you tell me. Maybe I can help.”

Asgore sighed and glanced at Toriel. She nodded. 

“We found the Humans, just like in the rumors.” Asgore began. “I didn’t recognize their banners. It has been 120 years since Monsters were forced underground. The Human King I fought is dead but for some reason, this new King seems to be just as aggressive. I went to check on the Monsters living in the warmer climates, Vulcans, Pyropes and the like. There was a lot of dust.”

Frisk frowned. “That’s horrible. Why would the Humans do such a thing?”

Asgore shook his head, his eyes downcast in hopelessness. “It’s as if history is repeating itself. I cannot stand another war; we’ve already lost so many Monsters. After Asriel…Chara… and so many others, I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to kill anymore. I never really wanted to.”

“Then don’t.” Frisk said stubbornly. “Long ago I told you and Mother that I would go talk to the Humans. I am still the Ambassador. Even if this is the first time we saw Humans in the decade of living here, I have not forgotten my promise. I will tell them that you are nice and we will work out a peace treaty. I won’t let innocent Monsters die from a misunderstanding. We can fix this.”

“It might not be that simple, my child.” Toriel warned. “You weren’t alive during the Big War.”

Frisk crossed her arms stubbornly. “I am going to learn magic. I’ll bring Sans and Papyrus with me and we will go talk to the Human King. Surely he won’t attack if he sees another Human.”

Asgore looked uneasy by this idea and Toriel was upset. Her face was all scrunched up. “No, you will not!” She said angrily. “No, I will not let you go to the Humans like some kind of martyr.”

“But Mother!” Frisk protested. “What’s the point of learning magic if I can’t use it to help the ones that I love? We can’t expect the Human King to stop if he has started dusting Monsters.”

“She does have a point Tori.” Asgore commented but Toriel just turned her furious glare on him. 

Frisk looked away angrily, wiping a tear from her cheek. “I can’t just stand here watching innocent Monsters die. These soldiers could be the ones that burned my home, who murdered the people in my village and kidnapped children. They could be the magicians that killed my Papa!”

Asgore and Toriel looked at each other in surprise. Finally, Toriel’s eyes softened sympathetically. “My child, vengeance is never the answer. Going to war and fighting the Human King will not bring back your village or bring back your family.”

Frisk said nothing, she merely looked determined.

“You’re not going to let this go…are you?” Toriel said after a long moment. “Are you sure?”

“I have to do this Mother.” Frisk said. “I love you both but I can’t let a new war start if I can stop this. Just give me a chance. I am 20 years old; I am now old enough to make my own decisions.”

Toriel paced back and forth in the kitchen, her eyes were still angry. Asgore and Frisk watched her warily; the goat woman was lost in thought. Finally, she stopped and gave them a derisive stare. “Fine, you have my blessing but there are some conditions. I want you to learn magic and only when Sans says you are ready, I will test your magic skill levels. If you pass, you can go.”

Frisk jumped up and hugged Toriel. “Thank you Mother! I won’t let you down! I’ll work hard!”

Toriel sighed and put her hand to her head. “I suppose I can’t keep you safe forever, can I?”

Asgore, who wanted to avoid Toriel’s wrath gave her a sympathetic smile. “Look on the bright side, Papyrus and Sans will be there when she does go to meet the Human King.”

The goat woman just frowned, not looking very reassured. “Well, we should probably go back to sleep. It’s very late. If you really want to go save the Monsters, you should rest well and study magic in the morning. We’ve discussed this topic long enough. I am ready to go back to bed.”

She glanced at Asgore and Frisk one more time before climbing the stairs towards her bedroom. 

Frisk sighed and smiled at Asgore reassuringly. “Thank you for supporting me. I will try to fix things and I promise there won’t be another war. I will do everything in my power to prevent that from happening. We deserve to live in a land of peace; I will make the Humans stop fighting.”

Asgore placed a hand on Frisk’s shoulder, the goat man looking old and tired. “Sometimes it’s hard to believe how grown up you are. I still remember you as this little girl, so brave and determined. We owe so much to you, my child. You really are the angel of the underground.”

Sleep did not come easily for Frisk. It was well past midnight now but her mind was troubled. Despite her brave words, she still was afraid of using magic and hurting others. But the idea of another war starting up between Monsters and Humans was unbearable. She still had nightmares of the Humans attacking. What if the Monsters were attacked and killed off for good this time? What if they were forced underground again? What if she just was a complete and total failure? But insecurities aside, she had to do something. 

Death and destruction would surely follow if the Humans’ violence was left unchecked. Somebody had to do something and that someone was her. She alone had the ability to be non-partial; she was Human with the interest of Monsters. It was her destiny, since the moment she climbed Mt. Ebott, this was what she was meant to do. Resting her head on her pillow, Frisk closed her eyes and willed herself to fall asleep. Tomorrow was another day and if she was going to be a powerful magician, she needed all the help she could get. Toriel would only let her go if her powers were strong enough to defeat her in combat.

Meanwhile in the next room, Asgore comforted a crying Toriel. The goat woman would not admit that she was scared but after all that happened between them, Asgore understood. As they sat on the bed together, he held her close and whispered assurances. History would not repeat itself, not again. They came so far and were actually happy. There was no allowance for failure.


	6. Chapter 6

“Come on Frisk; put some backbone into that attack! You’re not going to hurt me!”

Standing on the beach, Frisk tried to conjure the magic. After studying the old book for a majority of the morning, she had managed to create red magical energy around her fingertips. It did not hurt like she expected, it actually felt warm and throbbed like a tiny heartbeat. However the moment she tried sending it towards Sans, the magical energy disappeared almost instantly.

“I’m trying but it’s not working.” Frisk replied, frustrated. She tried summoning the energy again but this time it was even weaker, not lasting more than a few seconds in the palm of her hand.

Sans sighed, rubbing his skull and trying to be more patient. They had been outside all afternoon and there was little improvement in the young woman’s magic. Walking closer, he studied Frisk’s expression. She looked determined but also very anxious. Her hands were shaking, she was so nervous. Frowning, he decided to try a different tactic. 

“Do you remember what causes magic?”

The young woman looked surprised. “Emotions, magic is caused by how much a person feels.”

Nodding his head, Sans walked along the beach. “Yes, but it’s not that simple. Different emotions cause different types of magic. For instance, murderous rage causes very powerful attacks but that magic is unpredictable. Righteous fury however, tends to be easier to control but less effective than the magic caused by murderous rage.”

“Is there another way?” Frisk asked, “Surely anger is not the only emotion that causes magic.”

Sans shrugged, “It’s not always anger, magic can be created using fear or the desire to escape. You could manifest shields or if your desire to escape is strong enough, you can teleport like me. Often times a Monster specializes in different kinds of magic depending on his or her personality. It’s possible to specialize in both offensive and defensive magic…but it’s hard to manage. Only Boss Monsters can be good at both but even then it’s limited. So just focus on what you feel the most.”

Frisk nodded, studying the magic in her hands. “I don’t know what I feel. I want to save our kingdom from the Human King but its more out of duty and love then about wanting revenge. I refuse to kill anyone but what if I have no choice? If he is as violent as I fear, then diplomacy might not work. He might kill because he likes killing. It might not even be a misunderstanding.”

Sans gave the young woman a reassuring smile. “Welp, then it seems your answer’s love.”

“Love?” Frisk asked suddenly, her face blushing. “But isn’t being strong in LV a bad thing?”

“The emotion of love, not LV” The Skeleton explained patiently, “The emotion of love can be powerful; perhaps that’s where your magic comes from. Whether or not it is for defensive or offensive attacks, it is unclear but it’s primarily the origin of the feeling. Think of the people you love and harness your magical energy. It’s all about concentration and focus. It might take a while but you’re a beginner. Give it a try.”

Embarrassed, Frisk closed her eyes and refocused her thoughts. She concentrated on those who she loved. A few Monsters came to mind and…her Papa. She felt the magic flow through her veins, first reluctantly then all at once. The sensation in her hands started to magnify and when she opened her eyes, she aimed her magic towards a rock. It sent out like a bolt and exploded.

“You did it!” Sans cheered. “I knew you’d shatter my expectations. How boom-tiful!”

Frisk smiled shyly, “I didn’t know it would be that powerful! I could barely control the energy.”

“Eh, that comes with time.” Sans assured, “This is only your first day. Once you have mastered hitting stationary targets, then you can move on to hitting the moving ones. At least your magic is no longer disappearing in your hands. I’m surprised it wasn’t fire though; usually that’s the most common of outlets. I guess magic can manifest differently for different people and yours just happen to be those bolts.”

“What do you mean?” Frisk asked. “Are bolts okay?”

“Unlike fire, bolts are a lot more specific to what they attack and less chaotic. It’s easier to miss your target but from what I have heard, bolts are stronger and more focused. They remind me a lot of Undyne’s spears, if you want a comparison.” Sans explained patiently. He gave Frisk as knowing wink, “She’d be very proud of that!”

Thinking of her fishy warrior friend, Frisk giggled. “I can almost imagine the look on her face!”

Sans laughed heartily. For the first time in a long time, Frisk felt a big sense of relief. The idea of learning magic had been worrying her for a while and now that she could actually do it, it felt like one less hurtle to deal with. She watched Sans as he happily admired her work. Cleaning up the beach, Frisk noticed that it was already close to dinner time and felt her stomach rumble.

“What to get some food at Grillby’s?” Frisk suggested. “We need to celebrate this moment!”

Sans grinned, delighted, “Now, that is a Sans-ational idea and I know a shortcut!”

He walked over to her and once again, Frisk felt herself being wrapped up in his strong bony arms and felt herself teleporting. Even if Sans had promised to teach her his favorite trick, the idea of no longer sharing a teleport made her feel sad. When they arrived, she felt her face blush at the closeness and exhilaration. This time, something had changed. Frisk noticed with surprise, that her hands were now warm with magic just under the surface. Her emotions had sparked it. Luckily her hands weren’t glowing, not like they did before an attack but the feeling of love was strong and Frisk quickly realized that she had to be more careful. What if someone saw? What if she hurt someone accidentally? 

Shaking her hands, Frisk quickly made the feeling disappear and Sans looked at her in confusion. He stood holding the door open to the Grillby’s newer, above ground restaurant. “Is everything alright Frisk?” He asked, sounding a little concerned.

“What? Um…oh yeah! Everything’s fine!” Frisk said nervously.

Sans studied her flustered expression curiously, “Okay then. Now come on. I can smell burgers cooking and I could use a few bottles of ketchup. It has been a long day!”

As they walked inside the restaurant, Frisk noticed how crowded it was. Most of the regulars were there and the place was very noisy. Suddenly Frisk noticed somebody was waving and calling their names. It was Papyrus. “SANS! HUMAN! COME OVER, I SAVED US A SEAT!”

Sans waved back and giving Frisk a knowing smile, he glanced at the counter where Grillby was taking some orders from Lesser Dog and two Temmies. It was obvious the flame Monster was getting annoyed by his customers and Sans knew that a distraction was now desperately needed. 

“Hey, why don’t go you on ahead?” Sans said. “I’ll order two orders of the burg and fries. It will be my treat. I think you’ve earned a free meal after your hard work.”

Frisk smiled shyly, and went to sit next to Papyrus at his booth. The taller Skeleton looked like he was bursting with curiosity. His fingers taping the table impatiently but he waited until Sans came over with the food. Frisk had barely started devouring her burger when Papyrus asked them his question, “HOW IS THE MAGIC TRAINING, HUMAN? IS SANS A GOOD TEACHER?”

Sans exchanged a glance with Frisk and she gave a sly wink. “I guess you could say we’ve been working hard. Sans has been working me down to the bone and we practiced all afternoon!”

Papyrus frowned disapprovingly at the pun. “BUT HAS HE TAUGHT YOU ANY SPELLS? HAS MY BOOK BEEN HELPFUL? I DON’T WANT MY BROTHER SLACKING OFF AGAIN; HE SLACKS OFF EVEN WHEN HE IS WORKING. PERHAPS I SHOULD HELP.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Frisk reassured. “It’s better if we practice our magic…in private.”

Sans gave a snort of laughter and Papyrus was growing more suspicious. He glanced between his brother and the human and crossed his arms. “WHY CAN’T I CHAPERONE YOUR LESSONS? I AM A BRILLIANT TEACHER, I COULD PROBABLY TEACH YOU BETTER THEN SANS. HE IS PROBABLY NOT EVEN TEACHING YOU HOW TO SET PUZZLES!”

Sans groaned at Papyrus’ whining, he grabbed a ketchup bottle and took a small sip. Papyrus was acting so childish, he was actually pouting. Willing up his patience, Sans finally gave him a reassuring smile. “Bro, we talked about this. I wanted to be the one to teach Frisk!” Papyrus still looked unsure but Sans continued. “She’s doing fine. It’s only her first day. Soon, she will be casting spells just as well as any Monster. Now let us just relax and not waste the good food. Bone apatite my friends! Grillbz outdid himself again!” 

Looking disappointed, Papyrus picked at his food. “HUMAN, CAN YOU AT LEAST TELL ME WHAT YOUR MAGIC HAD MANIFESTED AS? I HAVE BEEN WONDERING ALL DAY!”

Frisk exchanged a look with Sans. He just shrugged and continued eating. Frisk gave Papyrus a sympathetic smile. “It turns out I can shoot magic bolts, sort of like Undyne’s magic spears.”

“BOLTS? WOWIE! I HEARD THOSE ARE POWERFUL.” Papyrus said excitedly. “NOT AS POWERFUL AS MY BONE ATTACKS OF COURSE BUT WOWIE, I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!”

Bashfully looking down, Frisk continued eating and listening to Papyrus ramble on. It wasn’t hard to ignore him and even if he was her friend, just like every other Monster, they all thought that their special attack was the best one. It amused her and she felt proud that her powers could impress the Great Papyrus. He still wanted to teach her but at least now he was a little satisfied. But did Papyrus seriously not trust Sans to be a good teacher? Sans was so powerful, he was just… humble about it. She hadn’t actually fought him but she had heard the rumors. He could easily be the most powerful Monster but his attitude towards magic made it misleading. Frisk studied Sans in the corner of her eye and smiled. He was something special and he didn’t even realize it.

Frisk felt the magic warm up her hands, just under the skin. Perhaps love really was her strength.

“Sans? Can I ask you something?” Frisk found herself saying.

Sans stopped in mid bite of his burger and looked at her curiously. “Sure Frisky, what’s up?”

He was looking at her so intently, she suddenly became shy and her words felt like cotton in her mouth. She tried to will up her determination but it just made her more uneasy. Awkwardly she rubbed the back of her neck and looked nervously around. Suddenly her eyes spotted his fries.

“Um…are you…are you going to eat that?” She gestured towards the fries.

Sans laughed and slid the fries over, “You can have it. I’m starting to get full anyway.”

Smiling nervously, Frisk took a ketchup covered fry and munched on it morosely. This…this was going to be a lot harder then she thought. Confessing one’s feelings were a little more complicated then magic and just like her spells, this could backfire. Not too long ago, San’s favorite nickname for her was Kid or Kiddo. The idea of being thought of as a child was depressing. Would he even see her as an adult or a possible girlfriend? That could be a problem.

“Why must things be so complicated?” Frisk muttered to herself. Luckily, the others didn’t hear.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for reading. Here's a little tidbit I thought up about Sans' 1 HP situation. There was a comment that got me thinking and this is my theory. I think that part of the reason why Sans sleeps so much and eats often is to protect against vulnerability. In the game, if you sleep in the Inn at Snowden, you get extra HP on top of what you already have. So while Sans is vulnerable, I think he prepares everyday by gaining extra HP. Papyrus just assumes he's being lazy because he ties in sleeping with laziness. Plus Sans also has fast reflexes thanks to his teleporting, so that helps prevent injury. It was an interesting comment and I hope this helps. It is my own head cannon of course. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I love this part of the story, as it's getting more exciting!

Months went by as Frisk trained. Things were becoming more and more serious between the attacking Humans and the Monsters. Asgore was forced to put up barriers and protection spells around his vulnerable subjects and some had already left the areas where battles had occurred. Just knowing that Monsters were dying, caused Frisk stress, knowing she had to get better faster.

“Don’t forget to aim where you anticipate the target to be” Sans reminded her sternly, he used his magic to move a large boulder around in the air. The young woman shot out magic bolt after magic bolt, trying to hit it. “You’ll miss if you don’t expect the target to move.” 

“I know! I know!” Frisk said angrily. 

She shot out another red bolt but it ended up missing completely. Fuming, she shot out a few more but none of them hit the target. One accidentally hit Sans and when he collapsed on the ground, Frisk gasped in fear. “I’m so sorry Sans! Are you okay? Should I go get some help?”

Sans lay on the ground dazed, his HP down to 0.5. He stared at Frisk’s worried face as she peered down on him and held out his hand to cup her face. “Risky, risky, my sweet Frisky.” Sans babbled. “Haven’t I taught you better? Unless, you were actually aiming for me.”

“Of course I wasn’t aiming for you!” Frisk said impatiently. “I would never hurt you! Not on purpose anyway. Hmm…I might have some food. Do you like cinnamon bunnies? Or would you rather have a hotdog? Ugh! Why wasn’t I more prepared? You are probably sick of hotdogs!”

Digging through her bag, Frisk managed to find a cinnamon bunny and handed it to Sans. He chewed on it hungrily, slowly returning to his senses. Rubbing his head and feeling a lot better, the Skeleton noticed that there were tears falling down Frisk’s cheeks. She looked so mad at herself that her body was shaking. “I’ll never get this right! Monsters will die and it’s my fault!”

“S’not your fault.” Sans assured her. “You have come so far, just be a little patient.”

Tears still fell down her face and she collapsed to the ground. Sans went closer and hugged her, he held her tight until her body stopped shaking and she just sobbed into his collarbone. “What’s the point of using my love as a power if it makes me vulnerable? I can’t bear to hurt you Sans! How can I hurt anyone that I meet? I was called the angel of the underground but I can’t even save Monsters from the Humans now that they are free. I am a failure. What good am I to you?”

“You are very good for me.” Sans said stubbornly. “Besides, this is only a flesh wound.”

“But…you don’t have any flesh.” Frisk said, looking confused. Sans grinned and realizing he was kidding, she found herself giggling. “Okay, I deserved that one. I really am sorry though.”

“Eh, forget about it.” Sans said, brushing it off. “I’ve dealt with worse. Besides, at least I know you’re strong enough to defeat your enemies. You just need practice.”

Frisk sighed impatiently. “I suppose. Should we try again?”

Sans nodded and with a flick of his hand, he lifted more boulders in the air for Frisk to aim for. This time however, she hit each and every one with her magic. Her hands were warm and tingled as she focused on the boulders, making sure to not hit Sans again in the process. Hitting him once was an accident. Hitting him twice was unthinkable. Now she wanted to make him proud. With one last burst of energy, she shattered the remaining rocks until pieces fell to the ground.

“Welp, I think that’s it for target practice!” Sans said, when there were no more rocks.

Frisk nodded, panting a little from the exertion. “So, what’s next? We’ve already covered the basics. I can create shields and barriers, I can shoot moving targets. What more should I learn?”

Sans looked thoughtful. “Hmm…I guess we could try teleporting, if you want. But don’t be surprised if you don’t get it right away. It’s a very difficult move. My Dad taught it to me and Papyrus but aside from Dad, I am the only one who can do it.”

Nodding sagely, Frisk prepared herself. “Okay, so how do we do it?”

Walking along the beach, Sans tried to think of how to put it in words. “It’s a defensive spell, so focus on the desire to leave. Think of a location, usually the more attached you are to a place, the easier it is to teleport. You have to really want to be there and you have to know where the place is. You can't just teleport to a location you've never been too."

“Like this?” Frisk closed her eyes, trying to teleport herself to the spot next to Sans.

But nothing happened. She tried again, her body straining with the effort. She felt the magic swirl around her whole body but it did nothing but make her feel warm and tingly. Her feet felt as if they were asleep with cut off blood flow. It hurt a little but she remained where she stood.

“Eh…that was a nice try… but ya didn’t go anywhere.” Sans said, trying hard to be kind.

Frisk huffed irritably, pacing back and forth on the sand. “I don’t get why it’s so hard to learn. If it’s just wanting to leave and a location, I should be able to master it. What am I doing wrong?”

Sans shrugged, “It’s hard to say but I wouldn’t worry about it. Just keep on practicing and I won’t hold this against you. In fact, I was thinking about telling Tori that you are ready. Teleportation is really the only thing left to learn anyway.”

Frisk raised an eyebrow to this, smiling a little. “What about learning how to set up puzzles?”

“Eh, that’s only for capturing aimless Humans.” Sans said, laughing. “It’s didn’t seem to stop you as a kid, why would it work for an evil Human King and his minions? Despite my bro’s brave and noble intentions, puzzles are more like a game to him. He’s not a bloodthirsty warrior. To win this battle you need to focus your energy on staying alive and defending yourself if need be. You are certainly strong enough!”

Staring at the ocean, Frisk sighed. “I hope I meet Mother’s expectations. I worked so hard to learn magic but I know she will only let me go if she thinks I am strong enough. What if I falter? I have trouble attacking the ones I love; my attacks come out weaker because I can’t hurt them.”

Sans smiled reassuringly. “You have to remember why you are attacking them. You are not doing this because of hate or anger, you are doing this because you love them and sometimes that love requires sacrifice for the greater good. With love, sometimes there are hard choices to make. Proving your strength is one of them.”

Frisk tried to teleport again, once more with little success. Over and over, she repeated the process. Once she managed to get a few inches from her original spot but other than that, they were all failures. Exhausted, the young woman looked at Sans. He had been watching her nearby but had fallen asleep in the warm sand. It seemed exhaustion and the sound of the ocean beating against the shore; put him into a comfortable state. She tiptoed over to him and lay down too. The summer days were drawing to a close. Soon autumn would be here and these lazy days would be gone. She would have to focus on duty and protecting Monster kind from these rampaging Humans who were getting closer every day. Frisk was afraid but not like she used to be. This time she wasn’t a ten year old girl. She knew magic now and was able to defend herself.

She could defend herself and protect her loved ones. Smiling softly at Sans, Frisk admired his sleeping form. Practicing magic always wore him out and with his 1 HP; he was vulnerable to careless attacks. He could hold his own but it did not stop her from worrying about him. War was coming but as long as she was alive, she would protect her loved ones. Mother, Father, Papyrus, Sans and all the Monsters, she would protect them with her dying breath. No matter what their protests were. Magic responded to the feeling, flowing through her fingertips. Frisk knew she was finally ready.


	8. Chapter 8

Toriel studied Frisk with an appraising look. Mother never looked more regal and more forbidding as she stood facing her, Frisk took a deep breath, determined to be calm and have courage. This was only a test. There would be no killing involved for either party. Food was on hand to heal wounds and Sans was watching, serving as the referee. This was finally it, she was ready. Without warning, Toriel sent out waves of fire blasts towards her.

Frisk jumped out of the way, putting up a red barrier before the fire started coming towards her in waves. The Monsters watching them cheered as Frisk started creating bright red bolts and sent them back in retaliation. Boom! Boom! Boom! They exploded against the shield that Toriel created, knocking her back towards the edge of the sparring ring. The goat woman was pressed against the wall but she quickly slid to the side and started sending out waves of fire. She then ran in the opposite direction, sending out a second wave of flames. Frisk dodged and weaved, using her own shield to take the heavy hits. 

Toriel alternated between waves of fire and attacking from many different directions. She was fast and her attacks were gaining momentum.

Frisk panted from the effort, the red energy pulsing in her hands as she tried to forget that this was her own Mother she was attacking. Closing her eyes for a moment, Frisk felt another wave of fire hit her shield. It was hard to keep focused without losing the energy she had worked so hard to create.

“Come on Punk!” Undyne shouted from amongst the crowd. “You can win! Don’t give up now!”

Some other Monsters shouted and cheered alongside Undyne. Frisk couldn’t resist a smile at her supporters. Finally, she stood up and faced her Mother head on. The magic in her hands turned into bolts quicker this time and they crackled and exploded, just missing Toriel’s face but enough to make her lose focus. For every explosion, her Mother had to focus on defensive magic. It seemed that she was having trouble doing both at the same time. Frisk finally saw her opening.

Relentlessly Frisk fired explosive magic bolts at Toriel. Her Mother was slowing down and running out of HP. The shield that she held was weakening too, cracks were appearing with every hit and after one more wave of bolts, it shattered completely. Frisk smiled triumphantly. “Do you yield, Mother?”

Toriel looked stunned but she looked down in defeat. “I yield. You’ve passed my test Frisk.”

The crowd of Monsters went crazy after that. They all ran down to the sparring ring to congratulate their Human champion. Asgore went to comfort Toriel and food was passed around. Toriel helped herself to a large piece of butterscotch pie and nibbled on it sadly. Despite the praise and admiration, Frisk went over to where Toriel stood and gave her a shy, reassuring smile. “I hope there are no hard feelings between us. I love you and I’m sorry that I hurt you.”

Toriel looked up and gave Frisk a long hug. “I couldn’t be more proud of you. You did well.” 

Frisk beamed happily and helped herself to a piece of butterscotch pie too. The pie was very similar to the one she ate as a child. She remembered meeting Toriel for the first time and how despite how scared she had been, the Monster made her feel right at home. It was the first time she had felt safe, the first time since before the Human King’s minions had ransacked her village.

“Do you remember when we first battled?” Frisk asked, conversationally. “It felt a bit like this.”

Toriel, despite herself, smiled at the memory. “You were such a brave little girl. You were so stubborn to leave but you were willing to choose mercy despite my protests. I was sure you were going to die. All the other children died at some point, often times resorting to violence when scared or attacked. I wanted them to be better, to give the young Humans a fair chance at life.”

“Sans might have taught me magic, but you taught me how to survive in the Underground. You taught me mercy and loved me as your own.” Frisk said, smiling. “You were scared but you still believed in me. I can do it, you know. I was only 10 years old when I saved the Monsters from the Underground, now as a magic trained adult, I can save them from the Humans. I have friends with me every step of the way.”

“Alright, alright!” Toriel laughed. “I get it. I suppose you did do all those things. My child, no matter how old you get, you’re still are as stubborn as ever. However, you can’t blame me for being worried for your safety. I will always be your Mother and I will love you no matter what.”

Frisk smiled, feeling better. The day was beautiful and in celebration of her learning magic and passing the test, a picnic was hosted in her honor. Alphys congratulated her, Undyne immediately challenged her to a duel and Papyrus went on about how impressed he was with her magic skills, even if they were not bone themed. It hardly felt like the day before a confrontation.

“Papyrus? Are you worried about meeting the Human King?” Frisk asked, trying to seem brave.

“OF COURSE I’M NOT WORRIED!” The tall Skeleton exclaimed. “THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS NEVER WORRIED! LIKE YOU SAID BEFORE, IT WAS PROBABLY A BIG MISUNDERSTANDING. THESE HUMANS NEVER SAW A MONSTER BEFORE; THEY COULD HAVE JUST BEEN SCARED. WE WILL OFFER THEM OUR FRIENDSHIP AND PERHAPS SOMEDAY WE CAN ALL BE BEST FRIENDS LIKE UNDYNE AND MYSELF!”

As usual, Papyrus’ attitude was catching. Frisk grinned teasingly. “But if you are so confident in diplomacy, why were you so concerned with my magic lessons?”

“OF COURSE I WAS CONCERNED! IT WAS BECAUSE SANS WAS TEACHING YOU. HAVING YOU LEARN MAGIC WAS MY IDEA, I THOUGHT OF IT WHEN I FOUND MY OLD MAGIC BOOK BUT SANS INSISTED ON TEACHING YOU HIMSELF. HE WANTED TO BE THE ONE TO TRAIN YOU. I JUST ASSUMED HE WANTED TO GOOF OFF AND SPEND TIME WITH YOU. HE MENTIONS YOU ALL THE TIME, YOU KNOW. IT’S VERY ANNOYING. IT’S ALWAYS FRISK THIS OR FRISK THAT, BUT NOT PAPYRUS!”

Frisk was surprised at this and was silent. She looked down and wondered what all that meant.

“OH, I DIDN’T MEAN TO HURT YOUR FEELINGS.” Papyrus added hastily. He saw her expression, assuming she was sad. “I JUST FELT LEFT OUT. YOU TWO WERE HAVING ALL THAT FUN WITHOUT ME. I CAN BE FUN TOO! I’D HOPED TO SHOW YOU HOW TO SET UP PUZZLES BUT SANS INSISTED THAT HE WANTED TO DO EVERYTHING.”

Papyrus looked so disappointed; Frisk gave him a comforting hug. “It’s okay. Of course you are important. If you want, when all this is over, we can duel and you can show me your puzzle techniques. You are the best puzzle maker around; I’d be thrilled to learn something from you.”

The Skeleton looked so delighted by this idea; he jumped up and down with excitement. “NYEH HEH HEH! THAT’S A BRILLIANT IDEA! I CAN’T WAIT TO SHOW YOU MY VERY COOL, EXTRA SPECIAL PUZZLES. I’VE BEEN DESIGNING THEM FOR WEEKS NOW.”

Frisk nodded and noticed that Sans was watching them from a distance. Smiling, she gestured for him to come over and join them. The smaller Skeleton seemed a little shy but he came over willingly. “Hey guys, how’s it going? Some party, huh? I think everyone showed up.”

Frisk nodded, scooting over and gesturing for him to take a seat. “It might be in my honor but this is also for you Sans. You taught me everything that I know. It’s all thanks to you that we can move on and go try for diplomacy with the Human King. I can’t believe that we are leaving tomorrow. It feels a little surreal. Papyrus has total confidence but I am still a little nervous.”

“I know we’ll be fine. You’re a great magician Frisky, So, I have no real worries.”

“FRISKY? DID YOU GIVE THE HUMAN A NICKNAME, SANS?!” Papyrus asked, looking at the two of them suspiciously. I WANT A NICKNAME TOO! WHAT SHOULD I BE CALLED? HOW ABOUT PAPYRUS, COOLEST SKELETON IN ALL OF NEWER HOME!”

“You already have a nickname.” Sans reminded him “The Great Papyrus is a cool name.”

Papyrus looked thoughtful, “YOU DO HAVE A POINT. OKAY, I SHALL KEEP MY COOL NICKNAME AS THE GREAT PAPYRUS. IT IS EASIER TO REMEMBER AT ANY RATE!”

Frisk giggled at the brothers’ bantering. It was starting to get ridiculous. Papyrus and Sans had to behave if their mission was going to be successful. But as the day wore on and she began to prepare for the journey ahead, one thought crossed her mind. Why, of all Monsters, was Sans so adamant to teach her, to spend time with her? He even started up using an old nickname that wasn’t kid or kiddo. That had to be a good sign? Right? Was there some reason behind all this?

As she packed her clothes into a bag that night, Toriel handed over a few extra necessities. Looking uncertain for a moment, Frisk worked up her courage. It was still an uncomfortable subject. “Mother? Do you think Sans likes me?” Frisk asked, voice wavering a bit with worry.

Toriel looked surprised. “Of course he does! Why wouldn’t he?”

“No…” Frisk protested. “I mean, like be romantically interested in me. Even though he's a bit older and still remembers me as a kid. Do you think he could romantically like me?"

For a moment Toriel was silent and Frisk thought she was going to shake her head. Finally, the goat woman gave her daughter a small smile. “I don’t know if Sans does feel that way about you but I do know that he would never hurt you. I know that he admires you and thinks the world of you. But if he does feel romantic towards you, well…you will just have to ask him if he does.”

“I was afraid of that.” Frisk sighed.

Suddenly, Toriel started laughing and her daughter stared at her with a hurt expression. “Hehehe, oh my child, you are certainly something special. Most would be afraid to face off against the Human King, a known Monster murderer but you? You are more worried about rejection from a boy. I have no worries about that. Whatever happens, I am confident that things will turn out alright. Just have a little faith, my child.”


	9. Chapter 9

“SANS? WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE CAN’T TAKE A SHORTCUT TO THE HUMAN KING’S CASTLE? WE’VE BEEN WALKING FOR HOURS!” Papyrus complained.

It was still early in the afternoon and they had been walking all day. Sans didn’t seem to care one way or another but Papyrus was becoming tired and cranky. Frisk couldn’t help but smile in amusement. “We can’t take a shortcut if I’ve never been there before.” Sans said patiently. He was snacking on a hotdog as he walked, watching as Papyrus tried to keep up the pace. Grinning mischievously, the Skeleton threw a red bottle at his brother, Papyrus looking at it in confusion.

“WHY DID YOU GIVE ME THIS? I’M NOT EATING A HOTDOG.”

Sans winked at Frisk, “To help you ketchup, of course! You’re falling a little behind.”

Papyrus glowered at his brother and tossed the ketchup bottle back. “SANS! WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT TELLING PUNS? ANYWAY, WE SHOULDN’T EVEN BE WALKING! I SHOULD BE DRIVING MY FAST RED RACE CAR. IF I WAS DRIVING, WE’D BE AT THE CASTLE BY NOW. THIS IS TAKING FOREVER.”

“But what happened to your race car?” Sans asked, as he navigated them down the path.

His taller brother scowled, stomping behind them. “I CRASHED IT INTO A TREE. I JUST NEEDED A LITTLE TIME TO FIX IT; IT WAS ONLY THE FRONT THAT WAS CRUSHED. THE CAR WAS ONLY PARTIALLY BROKEN, NOT UNLIKE WHEN I FIRST FOUND IT AT THE DUMP. AFTER ALL, THE GREAT PAPYRUS CAN FIX ANYTHING!”

Sans shrugged, “Broken is broken. If you can’t drive your car and if I can’t teleport us there, we have to walk. That’s just how it goes. No use in complaining about it.”

Papyrus said nothing and Frisk could tell both brothers were getting irritable. Not that she could blame them. Traveling down to the southern part of the kingdom was a lot of work and it was a lot hotter in this part of the land. She could understand why some former Hotland Monsters preferred it to Newer Home. Compared to her hometown, this habitat was more like a big desert. The road they were traveling on used to be a highway but cars hadn’t driven on them for many years. Grass and small trees grew in the cracks in the pavement and there were areas that were hard to walk on. However there were new signs, written in the human language. They were close but there still was nothing but dirt, rocks and an endless stretch of road. The heat was unbearable.

“So uh…do we have a plan if we see any humans?” Sans asked, looking a little uneasy.

“Hmm…not really… I guess we’d just go over and say hello.” Frisk mused, “Why? Do you have any suggestions? If you can think of a strategy, I wouldn’t mind hearing your ideas.”

“I’ve got nothing.” Sans said, his eyes never leaving the road. “But we’d better think of something fast. There are humans over there. I don’t think they saw us but they are carrying weapons. They are soldiers, definitely not lost and frightened kids.”

Papyrus smiled, “I SHOULD SAY HELLO. THEN I WILL PREPARE A PUZZLE TO IMPRESS THEM. FEAR NOT HUMAN AND SANS, WE WILL BE VICTORIOUS TODAY.”

Frisk put her hand up and stopped Papyrus. “Um…Maybe I should go first?”

Papyrus looked disappointed but Sans smiled cheerfully at his brother. “Let the ambassador do her work. Once we know that it is safe, you can show off your clever puzzles.”

Walking awkwardly towards the soldiers, Frisk felt anxious at the idea of an impending battle. Did these humans know magic too? They had swords but that did not mean they weren’t skilled in using magic. There were even some monsters preferred using both weapons and magic spells. From their height and build, they were two men but aside from that, their faces were obscured by helmets. It made her more uneasy when they turned to face her. Frisk froze and smiled uneasily.

“Who goes there?” One soldier demanded. “What business do you have, so close to our capital?”

“Um…My friends and I…we want to talk to the Human King.” Frisk stammered out.

The first soldier raised his weapon in a threatening way but the second soldier glanced at the two waiting Skeletons. “Are these two… your friends?” The second soldier asked. 

“Yes, my name is Frisk Dreemurr and this is Sans and Papyrus.” Frisk said, a little more confidently. She took a deep breath. “We come from the Monster village of Newer Home, a little place near the Pacific Ocean that we settled once we were free from Mt. Ebbot. You might have heard about the Monsters becoming free? I know a few Monsters had made their home here.”

The first soldier laughed, “Yeah, I’ve heard about them. They ran when they saw us coming.”

Frisk frowned, “Well, as the ambassador of the Monsters, I hoped to talk to the Human King and work out a peace treaty. Some of the Humans have been attacking Monsters and we want it to stop. We have no wish to fight but we will defend ourselves if we must. I wanted…I was hoping for a peaceful solution. Surely, you will let us pass? Please?”

The second soldier studied Frisk and for a moment, he was quiet. 

“If you are the ambassador of Monsters…why are you Human? Did these Monsters capture you and force you to say that?”

Shocked, Frisk shook her head. “No! Of course not! These Monsters are my friends. I fell down into the Underground when I was a little girl. I was escaping a battle in my old village and they rescued me. They saved me and I saved them. We escaped and I have been living with them ever since. They are my friends, my family. I love these Monsters and I do intend to protect them.”

The first soldier scoffed. “You say they are your friends but you have no proof. We know the legends about the Monsters. How vicious they are, attacking and killing anyone in their path. You’re a traitor to your own kind. A Human who prefers the company of Monsters…disgusting.”

Standing behind her, Sans felt rage at these words but he held his tongue. It was all he could do to keep his temper but he knew that if he acted, he would only confirm what these Humans said. They had to build trust and friendship, reacting in anger from hurt feelings would be inexcusable. Papyrus glared angrily but Frisk took a deep breath and tried to keep her own feelings in check. Frisk looked at the two soldiers, keeping a straight face.

“I promise, we will not harm any Human when we go to visit the Human King. Please give us a chance. I remember when my village burned down. Humans were killed by other Humans, children were taken and my home…was destroyed. My Papa was killed for trying to save me.”

The first soldier did not look convinced but the second one nodded. He took off his helmet, much to his friend’s dismay and revealed a young man, roughly about Frisk’s age. It was Tom, the boy who had been kidnapped many years ago. “I remember that battle. It’s a miracle you escaped.”

Frisk gasped. “It can’t be. Tom! You’re alive? I…I remember seeing that soldiers grab you!”

Tom nodded. “My mother and brother wanted to help me but there was nothing they could do. I was forced to learn how to fight and to learn how to use a sword. The King knew that there were other Humans who knew magic and he was determined to kill them all off. He wants to be the only magic user, him and his trusted magicians. That’s why he hated the Monsters so much, especially when they escaped from Mt. Ebott. Magic has always come easier to the Monsters.”

Deciding it was time to join the conversation, Sans and Papyrus came forward. “He doesn’t even know us!” Sans said angrily. “How could your King judge us so harshly? You say Monsters kill you as soon as look at you, but it’s your own kind that have been starting battles. Is it so hard to live in peace with each other?”

The first soldier jabbed his sword towards Sans aggressively. “Watch what you say, Monster!”

Tom sighed and put his sword down. “That’s enough, Robert. We shall let Frisk and her Monster friends go through. I’m tired of fighting and if Frisk can find a way to ensure peace, then I see nothing wrong with that. It’s time this war between Monsters and Humans end once and for all.”

Robert took his helmet off and glared at Tom. “We are betraying our commanding officers. We could be court marshaled, all because there’s a pretty girl asking for entrance into the castle!”

Tom blushed and scowled back. “This has nothing to do with how pretty Frisk is. I just want to do the right thing and is it so bad to stop fighting? I am so tired of patrolling this horrible desert.”

Robert said nothing but wiped his own brow. Now that Frisk was no longer feeling threatened, she noticed how hot and tired the soldiers were in their big bulky armor. Armed to the teeth with swords, spears, and other heavy weapons, they both looked miserable. Frisk smiled sweetly at both soldiers. They weren’t so bad after all. Anybody would be cranky in this scorching heat. “So…can we continue on our journey?” Frisk asked hopefully.

Tom gave a knowing look at Robert and his friend nodded. “You can continue. Good luck Frisk. I do hope that you and your Skeleton friends manage to stop the fighting. If there wasn’t a war…well…maybe we could have grown up together. I think we’d have been good friends!”

He gave her a charming wink and Frisk, uneasy, smiled back. “Thanks. I wish you luck too.”

Frisk waved to the soldiers as she continued on down the road. Sans and Papyrus were by her side and they seemed to be deep in thought. The young woman felt mostly confusion and sadness. She knew Tom as a kid; she remembered watching the soldier take him from his mother’s arms. How many Human children were drafted to fight this battle? Was her Papa killed off because he knew magic? Magic was not a popular skill in her old village but it was not hated.

“I don’t trust that Tom guy.” Sans muttered. “He’s a soldier. This might be a trap.”

Papyrus scoffed. “IF IT WAS A TRAP, I WOULD KNOW ABOUT IT! I CAN SMELL A TRAP A MILE A WAY! NO, HE WAS PROBABLY JUST IMPRESSED BY SEEING A POWERFUL MONSTER LIKE ME AND I ALSO THINK THAT THE HUMAN, TOM WANTED TO IMPRESS FRISK. ESPECIALLY SINCE ROBERT CALLED HER PRETTY.”

Frisk blushed at that. “That soldier just wanted to embarrass Tom. I hardly think he was serious.”

Sans glanced at Frisk briefly, before looking away with his cheekbones a light blue. “You are very pretty Frisk but that doesn’t mean we should trust those two soldiers. I still think we should be prepared for a fight when we enter the capital city. I know we’re getting closer. See the castle in the distance? There will be more soldiers.”

Despite his casual tone, Frisk did not miss hearing Sans give her a compliment. She smiled shyly and felt the warm feeling stir in her heart. Papyrus was debating with Sans about whether or not they were walking into a trap but Frisk was too busy daydreaming about her best friend and longtime crush…calling her very pretty. The words meant more to her coming from Sans then from the mouths of those Human soldiers, even if one of them had once been her childhood playmate. Despite feeling more determined, when the three travelers stood at the entrance of the Capital City, they were shocked. Humans were everywhere, hundreds of moving and talking people. 

“Welp! I guess we found the rest of the Humans.” Sans said, trying to seem composed.


	10. Chapter 10

“Um…the Humans are still watching us.” Sans said nervously, sweating at the attention.

The Capital City was a metropolis of Humans, varying in different ages and races. It was the middle of the day and most of them were busy walking around, selling things in the marketplace or catching up on the latest news with their friends. However, the moment that Frisk and the two Skeletons walked into the Capital City, it seemed that a stillness be spelled the crowded community. They were watching them fearfully; others suspiciously, but mostly with curiosity. Monsters hadn’t been seen by the common folk in many years and now there were two of them.

“Smile, we have to seem friendly!” Frisk whispered. “We have to show that we are diplomatic.”

“Frisky, I know that and you know that…but do they know that? They could attack us at any moment. I want you to be prepared. Remember what I taught you. We are outnumbered here.” Sans said, warily. He put on a fake smile and waved to the onlookers.

“RELAX BROTHER.” Papyrus said reassuringly. “THEY’RE JUST CURIOUS. BEFORE FRISK, I NEVER SAW A HUMAN BEFORE, THESE PEOPLE PROBABLY NEVER SAW A MONSTER BEFORE. IT’S NORMAL TO STARE AT THE STRANGE AND UNFAMILIAR."

Unlike Sans who looked like he was forcing friendliness, Papyrus was waving and smiling like he was in the middle of a parade. The crowd of Humans had parted to make way for the newcomers but it did not lesson the tension in the air. There were still more soldiers in front of the castle but most people did not make a move to threaten Frisk and her Monster companions. If anything, Papyrus seemed to be right. When the Humans saw that the Skeleton brothers were not attacking, most went on with their day. Only the soldiers were uneasy and that was understandable, considering guarding the castle was there job. Frisk looked at the other people in amazement. She hadn’t been around this many Humans in a long time, not since she was a little girl. It was strange to see so many people that looked just like her; it was like looking at a mirror.

At the castle entrance, Frisk smiled sweetly at the guards. “Do you mind if we talk to the King?”

The guards were older, much older than Robert and Tom. The men had gray beards and small squinting eyes; one man appraised her and frowned. “What may I ask is your business with the King? How do we know that you are not looking to attack him? This is a most unusual request.”

Frisk sighed impatiently. “My name is Frisk Dreemur, the Monster ambassador. These two are my friends, Sans and Papyrus. We mean the King no harm but we do wish to discuss the recent Monster killings that have been happening so near to our homeland, the Monster Kingdom.”

The guards looked at each other in surprise. The oldest one looked at Frisk curiously. “You wish to stop the Monster killings? That is quite brave of you, young lady. Our King has not been in his…right mind lately. However if you wish to see him…I shall announce your arrival to him.”

The old guard whispered something to his fellows before smiling at Frisk. “I shall return shortly. Feel free to wait. If he is willing and able, you will be able to have an audience with the King.”

Disappearing through a wooden door, the castle seemed more intimidating then ever but Frisk kept on smiling. A few people walked by to glance at the Skeletons but there was a less of a crowd then before. Sans fidgeted nervously behind her and Papyrus admired the weapons that the guards had in their hands. He walked around and studied the swords and chain mail armor. “THAT SWORD IS IMPRESSIVE, JUST LIKE UNDYNE SAID.” Papyrus chatted amiably. “THOUGH I WAS EXPECTING IT TO BE BIGGER THEN YOU ARE TALL, I THINK IT IS INGENIOUS HOW HUMANS CREATE SUCH WEAPONS. IT IS SO FINELY DETAILED!”

The guards looked at each other and grinned, one man was even kind enough to let Papyrus hold his sword. Papyrus held the weapon and posed with it at different angles. He grinned and letting out a giggle snort. “NYEH HEH HEH!” The other guards smiled and laughed at his goofy antics.

Frisk and Sans laughed too. Papyrus seemed to have broken the tension and people visibly relaxed. The soldiers looked less intimidating now but it was hard not to like Papyrus. He acted like a kid, waving the sword around like a toy. Even if it was considered a weapon, the tall Skeleton was more interested in looking cool then actually hurting someone. “SANS? DO YOU THINK I COULD HAVE A SWORD TOO?” Papyrus asked, grinning with hopeful enthusiasm.

Sans shrugged, “Eh…Maybe. I’d have to think about it.”

There were sounds coming from inside the castle, the old guard was returning. Papyrus handed back the sword and when the old man came out, he looked a bit shaken but he smiled reassuringly. “The King has agreed to see you. If you will follow me, I will show you the way.”

Frisk nodded and the Skeletons followed behind her. The castle was just as large as she had imagined but somehow, it seemed less friendly then Asgore’s Underground Castle. Where her Father had large windows and yellow flowers in every room, this castle was cold and dimly lit by torch light. There were also a lot of stairs. Up, up, up they went as they traveled up the stairs. The rooms all looked alike but the higher they went, the larger and grander the rooms became. It was only when the old guard stopped that they knew they had reached the main throne room. 

Frisk did not know what to expect when she imagined the Human King. She had little experience with Humans and when she had heard tales of violence and the murder of Monsters, she had pictured him to resemble someone out of Alphys’ favorite anime. A Human with exaggerated features and cruel looking eyes but this man was something else. He looked to be very ordinary. The Human King was tall and skinny. He had white hair that was close chopped, militaristic like in style and no facial hair. He had thick eyebrows and his face seemed contorted, as if he was sucking on a lemon. The man was not strong looking and he wore no armor but he seemed to command respect from the people around him. He sat on his throne looking bemused by them.

“So…you are the Human child who grew up with the Monsters…interesting.” He said quietly.

Frisk nodded and on impulse, gave a little curtsy. “Um…yes your highness. My name is Frisk Dreemur; I am the ambassador of the Monsters. I was hoping to create a peace treaty that would allow Monsters to live in the desert lands outside of our homeland, the Monster Kingdom. We do not want to bother you or your subjects but…some of your soldiers have been killing the Monsters on impulse, maybe even for sport. I was hoping to put a stop to the horrible murders.”

The King frowned. “Well, it hardly matters to me if a few Monsters are killed. My soldiers are doing their job, protecting my people from threats like wandering Monsters that could attack my civilians. Ms. Dreemur, you do not remember the Big War. You were not even alive. In his younger years, my father was the one who fought and imprisoned the Monsters in Mt. Ebbot. The Rocky Mountains were the only place large enough to house all of those ferocious beasts.”

Uneasily, Frisk felt Papyrus and Sans close behind her. She knew they were mad but the young woman did her best to keep her composure. “War makes ferocious beasts of us all.” Frisk mused, “However, most Monsters want peace. A lot of time has passed since the Big War; wouldn’t it be best if we strive to improve the future, to encourage positive relations between our two races?”

The Human King laughed. “Do you really think I haven’t considered making peace with them?”

Puzzled, Frisk looked at Sans and Papyrus. “What do you mean?”

Getting off his throne, the Human King started walking around the room. Next to him were large bookshelves that housed hundreds of books, he seemed to be looking for a book in particular. “I remember hearing about a child name Chara who disappeared into the Underground.” The King began. “People assumed that Chara was killed but I disagreed. There was no proof and like you, I believed Monsters were not all bad. Imagine my surprise when Chara’s dead body was found in the hands of a goat like Monster. I believed that this was all a misunderstanding. There was no proof the Monster killing the child. So I proposed that we perform a test to see if the Monsters truly regretted their ferocity. My father was very old and thought me to be foolish.”

The Human King selected one particular book, inside were pictures of six different children. Names, descriptions and soul colors were written under each individual child’s picture. He handed Frisk the book and she saw the drawn faces and bright colors of the six children’s souls.

“When my father died, I sent six children down. One after another, like canaries in a coal mine from long, long ago. Every ten years I picked a child, usually one from my enemies who would serve as a way to tell me what was going on down there. They were ordered to return and tell me what the monsters were like. However, they never came back. They must have died and naturally it was my fault. I should have known the truth. Monsters proved to be too aggressive and Humans were too vulnerable. Magic made us dependent and naturally, Humans we were not as good at magic as the Monsters were. We were weak without our technology. If Monsters killed innocent children, they could kill me too."

Frisk said nothing, remembering the six souls in Asgore’s canisters. Her blood ran cold at the thought. Six Human children sent down in the Underground, all for the sake of testing the ferocity of Monsters. It was impossible to leave without a Human and Monster soul working together. It was a pointless exercise, whose only result would inspire hatred and prejudice against Monsters. The King hardly looked remorseful about that fact. If anything he seemed indifferent, as if he were simply reciting a boring lecture.

“Six children entered, six children were murdered. Then one day I find Monsters roaming the outskirts of my kingdom. Somehow, somebody allowed them to escape. I assume that was you.” The Human King sighed and took back the book. He did not seem to notice Frisk’s expression.

“I shouldn’t have been so naïve and now, I’m going to finish what my father started. I will kill the Monsters in our kingdom before they kill us. You might not believe me, Ms. Dreemur but I do not enjoy this. I’m aware that long ago Humans and Monsters used to be allies…that we used to be close but then Magic was discovered, a power stronger then electricity, a weapon of no other.”

Sans stood close to Frisk protectively. His eyes were heated and angry, even Papyrus was looking worried. The Human King just continued ranting, his grim smile slowly turning crazy. “Imagine having a monopoly on magic!” The King exclaimed, “If there were no more Monsters around, we would no longer be vulnerable. Monsters are too strong, what if they suddenly decide to attack us? No, we have to strike first. Humans could go extinct. I tolerated Monsters when they were underground, I even hoped that they could prove to be innocent but they are not, they are murderers. Now that they are free, they must be killed. It's the only way. I must be the strongest magic user! Only me, and no one else!"

Frisk who had been silent was now furious.

“That’s horrible! You can’t condemn Monsters to death just because you want to be more powerful. You were only assuming the children died.”

“Do you really think the children lived?” The Human King asked. “Honestly, would the Monsters spare them, even if it meant that it could mean their own freedom? You might have lived among Monsters like a little pet, but don’t think for a second that they won’t turn on you.”

By now Sans, who had watched and listened to this conversation had been fuming with anger. Even Papyrus had his eyes glowing orange with anger. Before Frisk could say another word, Sans stepped forward, holding a Gaster Blaster aimed at the Human King. He gave an evil smirk. “You know what? I’ve been listening you whine and moan but all that proves, is that you are a royal pain in my ass. You’ve never even met Monsters, never even talked to one but hey, you know everything right? It’s all written in those books.”

Sans glanced at Frisk, her eyes wide and scared. “How about I tell you something Kingy? Frisk was never a pet. She is my best friend and I would do anything to protect her and keep her safe. I love her and it’s only because she wanted peace that I tried holding back. So if I were you, I’d write up that peace treaty right now.”

The Human King did nothing, his own hands starting to glow with bright yellow magical energy. Sans then reacted in a heated rage. The Gaster Blaster shot out magic towards the man and he jumped out of the way effortlessly. "I'll not be threatened by Monster filth!" The Human King roared. 

With a flick of his hands, a streak of lightning, magic of immense strength was aimed towards Sans. Papyrus tried to block the attack; he created a webbing of orange and blue bones and placed it in front of his brother but Sans was directly hit. His HP quickly instantly dropped to 0.00003. Normally an attack of this caliber would kill him but Sans was holding on with pure determination. Frisk's accidental attack during training was hardly a scratch compared to this. Sans was close to becoming dust. He groaned with pain.

Frisk shrieked in fear, forgetting all about the Human King. She felt her own magic whip around her, teleporting herself to San’s side. She made a red shield that surrounded them, protecting them from further attacks. As she held onto him, Sans gave her a small smile. “Heh…Looks like you finally learned how to teleport. I knew you could do it, Frisky.” He said quietly, trying hard to stay awake. “I’m sorry I lost my temper. I ruined your chance for peace.”

Frisk shook her head, “It's alright. I understand but don’t worry about that. Right now, we have to focus on saving you.”


	11. Chapter 11

“How dare you threaten me?” The Human King roared. “I should have you killed on the spot.”

Frisk ignored him; her attention was completely focused on Sans. She cradled the Skeleton’s head, trying to keep him from collapsing into a pile of dust. One hand holding Sans, the other digging through her backpack trying to find some food to heal her wounded companion. Her magic shield was working. No matter how hard the Human King tried, the barrier blocked the attacks. Unfortunately, Papyrus was not so lucky. The King just turned his attention onto him. Papyrus wielded his blue bones, one in each hand. The Human King shot out more magic towards the Skeleton, the lightning crackling and exploding against the bones that Papyrus held up. He was losing HP with each attack. Despite being stronger then Sans, he could only take so much. The Human King’s rage was fueling the magic and becoming unpredictable as it exploded in the air. The Skeleton dodged but the King was faster, Papyrus was thrown against the wall. Frisk hurried to feed Sans a few pieces of glamburger before joining her friend’s side.

“YOU ARE NOT A NICE PERSON.” Papyrus said between breaths. “IF MY BROTHER DIES, YOU’LL FEEL THE WRATH OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS. I WON’T LET YOU HURT US!”

The Human King ignored him until finally Frisk stepped forward. Her expression was cold and composed as she faced the Human King. Contempt was in her eyes as she summoned her magic and shot out waves of red bolts towards the King, knocking him against the wall. She stood in front of Papyrus, in front of Sans and held her hands out protectively. “That’s enough!” Frisk shouted. “We must stop fighting! We need peace for us to survive.”

“Peace?” The King roared, “Monsters don’t deserve peace!”

“Would you really subject your people to war just because you are afraid of losing power and control?” Frisk demanded. She marched over to the Human King, pointing a finger at him angrily. “Monsters are free from Mt. Ebbot, they are part of your society and whether you like it or not, this is how it must be. I don’t want fighting, I don’t want another war. All I am asking you is to let the Monsters go about their lives free from persecution and…I…I will be fully responsible if a Monster harms a Human.” Frisk held one of her magic bolts close to the Human King, his face reflecting the red of her magic. Frisk was not attacking now, but her passionate display stunned the Human King. 

“You are a…strange young woman.” He admitted, “Are you truly confidant that the Monsters won’t hurt a single Human soul? How do I know that I can trust you? You could be trying to deceive me! Trying to catch me off guard with talks of peace. Monsters and Humans have always been enemies for a long as I can remember.”

“I give you my word.” Frisk said solemnly. “Monsters rarely even want to attack Humans, if they do it is because your soldiers find them and attack them on account of prejudice. As long as I am the ambassador for Monsters, I will make sure they won't harm a Human, but your soldiers must not harm a Monster. Give us a chance...please."

The Human King sighed, his magic fading in his hands. He looked at Sans, weakened on the ground. Papyrus was exhausted and hurt but he still was looking ready to defend his brother and friend. He flexed his hands, but he merely sneered at the Skeletons, not bothering to attack them. “Hmm…I suppose I could grant you mercy and let you go.” The Human King mused. “Your Skeleton friends are close to death anyway but if I spare the Monsters…what will you give me in return? Your magic is powerful, you could be useful. Perhaps I should keep you as my prisoner.”

“Over my dead body!” Sans growled, his eye flashing blue. Frisk gave him a silencing look.

She shushed him and smiled grimly at the Human King. “I propose a better idea. If you grant us mercy, if you give mercy to all the Monsters, I have something more valuable than my magic. I can give you electricity. You might not know this but Monsters have developed a new kind of technology, machines that are powered by a combination of thermal energy and magical energy.”

The Human King frowned. “You are lying. Technology, like machines do not exist. Machines haven’t existed in centuries! The land we live in was once called the United States. We used to have things like cars, computers and electricity but our ancestors exploited our natural resources and now we have nothing. Humans were dying off and it became worse when Monsters taught us magic. We were at the mercy of those horrible creatures. Monsters are so strong. Why do they need electricity? They didn’t share that power before my father trapped them. You are lying.”

Frisk shook her head. “I promise you, I am telling you the truth.”

“WE HAVE A ROBOT THAT RUNS ON A COMBINATION OF ELECTRICITY AND MAGIC!” Papyrus piped up, when the fighting stopped. “METTATON WAS THE STAR OF THE UNDERGROUND AND I’M HIS BIGGEST FAN! MY CAR ALSO RUNS ON THAT MAGIC AND ELECTRICITY. I FOUND IT IN THAT OLD HUMAN DUMP NEAR HOME!”

The Human King looked confused; he started pacing around his throne room deep in thought. His vision of the world was distorted by the idea of electricity and power returning. Could this be true? A car that ran on magic and electricity? A robot? They had to be lying…but for what end?

“You would be willing share this power?” The Human King asked, almost afraid of the answer.

Frisk nodded, “I would. If we could write up a peace treaty and if you promise to keep it, I will bring Dr. Alphys, my good friend who happens to be the royal scientist. She will help your kingdom get the same power and you will no longer have to worry about being powerless again.”

The Human King nodded, seeming to think it over. “Fine, I will agree to your terms. I will…I will grant you and your Monsters mercy. If you promise that no Monster will ever harm a Human and if you promise to share with us this new kind of electricity, we as our two Kingdoms, shall live in an era of peace.”

Sans was tired but after his glamburger, he was feeling better. Papyrus too ate some food and healed his HP and Frisk smiled broadly. She held out her hand and the Human King shook it reluctantly. Things were looking up. The Human King still looked a little uneasy to be relying on Frisk’s word. “When will this…Dr. Alyphs be arriving? How do I know you’ll keep your word?”

Frisk shrugged, “You’ll just have to trust us. Have faith, your majesty. We risked everything for peace. We’re not going to break our agreement when we finally have this opportunity. Besides, I am Human too; I do not want my kind to be this miserable and subjected to ancient methods.”

Papyrus grinned, “YOUR SWORDS AND ARMOR ARE STILL VERY IMPRESSIVE THOUGH. EVEN WITH ELECTRICITY, I THINK YOU SHOULD KEEP THEM AROUND!”

The Human King laughed at that. “Very well, you may leave my Kingdom in peace but I await your return, Ms. Dreemurr. If you bring back technology to this barren land, we will forsake the old ways of our ancestors. Monsters and Humans shall no longer know war between our races.”

Sans, Papyrus and Frisk slowly made their way out of the castle. The old guard who had arranged the meeting guided them once more, looking shocked by how cheerful the group was. He was especially confused by the King’s good mood and it unnerved him. “I…I suppose everything went well?” The guard asked casually. “I can see your Skeleton friends are alive.”

“Desperation can lead to evil acts.” Frisk explained. “I may not be around Humans often but looking at these people, I realize that they are more scared of us then we are of them. I took it for granted that Monsters had access to power and electricity. I grew up around it and I forgot that we did not have electricity at my old village. It’s strange…being here is like stepping into a storybook.”

The guard laughed, shaking his head. “I suppose we must seem very medieval to you, child.”

Frisk shrugged. “At least now we have a chance for the better. With this agreement, I feel a new sense of determination. I am determined that we will know peace and prosperity once again.”

“Well, like I said earlier, you are very brave. Now I wish you luck on your long journey home.”

Frisk glanced at Sans and winked. “I think it will be a much shorter journey home this time. Now that we know where we are going to teleport too, we can be there in mere seconds. Thank you for your kindness sir and if you see the soldier named Tom, tell him I had said goodbye, okay?” 

Frisk, Sans and Papyrus stood in a circle holding hands. “Are you ready for this Frisky?”

Frisk nodded and soon magic, a combination of Frisk’s red and Sans’ blue, swirled around them and the two Skeletons and one Human woman disappeared. Debris swirled around them and within moments, they disappeared. The old guard just smiled and shook his head with disbelief.


	12. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is the last chapter. I just want to thank all my readers who kept up with this story. Your kind words and kudos gave me the determination to make this fanfic a good one. It was my first attempt at an Undertale story, so it took some practice adjusting to writing about a computer game versus a TV show or movie. Still, it was a lovely experience and who knows? I might end up writing another Undertale story in the future. Thanks again and I wish you all a Happy New Year!

“I don’t trust the Human King.” Sans muttered to Frisk. 

The two were sitting on the grassy hill that overlooked the Monster village of Newer Home. It was a quiet and peaceful night, the sun had just set moments before and the stars were starting to come out. The constellations were beautiful away from the city lights. Frisk pulled the blanket around them, feeling chilly from the autumn air. “I don’t trust him either.” She admitted with a sigh, “If it wasn’t for Alphys restoring electricity to the Human Kingdom, we would probably be at war and there would be more Monster casualties. That horrible man wanted to kill us all, all for something as pointless as control and power. He was a stronger magician then I had ever expected…it was because he relied on rage…correct? His kind of magic is powerful and unpredictable. I just...I really hope that I did the right thing. I did not want to kill; I wanted to take the pacifist route. I want peace.”

Sans looked proudly at his Human companion. “Welp, I trust ya Frisky. If you think he can keep his word then I believe ya but keep in mind, he did kill your Papa and the other magicians in your village. He killed Humans and Monsters by claiming it was for the greater good. I don’t know how you can be so calm with someone like that.”

“It is hard.” Frisk agreed. Her voice was quiet and angry. “But I can’t change the past. Being angry won’t change anything and killing would only stoop to his level. I hope that his greed for power out ways his desire for bloodlust. Giving him electricity would ultimately help everyone. Compromise is the only way we can achieve a peaceful life for everyone.”

“You are something special.” Sans grinned, “I’ve always known it, ever since you were a little kid. I told you once that you were full of love and I still believe that. Hell, it even shows in your power. It’s funny how things are. If you told me this, years ago I do not think I would have believed ya. I mean, what we did seems impossible.”

Shrugging, Frisk looked up at the stars. “Learning magic seemed impossible too but I learned it. Things don’t feel so impossible when I’m around you. Even when I was a kid, you were there. Remember when I stumbled upon you selling hotdogs and hotcats? You were so nice to me.”

Sans laughed, his bony body rumbling and rattling beside Frisk. “I remember that I placed all those extra hotdogs and hotcats on your head! You were so cute trying to balance them all. How many did ya manage? At least 15! ” Frisk blushed, looking down from the stars at her friend. “I...I just wanted to impress you. Did you know I had a crush on you?”

Sans fiddled with the grass on the hill. Crickets chirped and there was an awkward silence before her Skeleton friend smiled. “No, I didn’t know how ya felt....at least I didn't until I noticed how anxious you were at Grillby's around me. After you learned magic, your emotions became a lot easier to sense and well...I kind of put two and two together. Especially, when you looked at me the way you did....then it became kinda obvious."

“It was so obvious that you found out?” Frisk asked, looking embarrassed. “But why didn’t you say something?”

“I would have told you eventually but…I guess I was being a bonehead.” Sans shrugged. “I was still coming to terms with my own feelings and welp… there was that whole diplomacy thing. I did not want to distract you and it got pretty tense back there.”

Frisk nodded, smiling shyly at Sans. He looked awkward; it matched her own insecure feelings. “I suppose it was better that I grew up first anyway. “ Frisk mused, laughing a little. “I wasn’t sure you’d ever notice me. You were hanging out with my mother and I figured you must have been too old, too grown up to notice a little Human like me. You kept on calling me kiddo or kid. It was so frustrating, especially when I was a teenager. You were my older, cooler Monster guy.”

Sans made a face, mockingly looking offended. “I’m not that old! Besides, Tori’s just a friend. She wanted some advice on how to deal with Asgore and I helped her deal with some of her anger and grief. Plus, we have the same sense of humor. It’s nice to talk with another pun enthusiast. She suggested I keep an eye socket on you.” Frisk bumped his shoulder playfully. “I’m glad you did. I wouldn’t have made it without you.”

“Of course you would have.” Sans grinned. “And I would have watched you proudly. Just like when you handled the Human King, you were brave and determined. I was sure I was dust and dead where I stood but you looked like you were willing to take on the world if it meant protect Monsters. Don’t be so hard on yourself, Frisky.”

As they sat under the night sky staring up at the constellations, Sans pressed his teeth to her hand in the form of a Skeleton kiss and they cuddled under the blanket. Frisk felt herself feeling more at peace then she had in a long time. “Do you like these stars better than the ones underground?”

“’Course, especially now that the show is about to star.” He pointed at falling meteor.

Falling stars started streaming across the sky. First one and then another. The whole world glittered like magic and the two were spellbound to the constellations in the sky. A breeze blew Frisk’s brown hair and she smiled, leaning against her Skeleton's shoulder. Suddenly a voice broke the silence. “I wonder what stars are?”

Frisk looked at Sans in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“What's a star?” Sans repeated. “Can you touch it? Can you eat it? Can you kill it?”

Sans winked flirtatiously at Frisk, “Are you a star? You are certainly as pretty as one!”

The young woman laughed and Sans laughed too. “Okay, now you are just being moony.”

“Should I give you some space?” Sans cackled. 

Frisk just rolled her eyes and hugged him closer to her. He hugged her back and leaned against her affectionately. The buildings of Newer Home stood in the distance; it looked like all accounts the buildings of the Underground but as if the two different locations, Snowdin and Waterfall merged together. Things were different but there were still some familiar sights. For one, Monsters had taken to planting echo flowers around their village and they now grew abundant. The blue flowers babbled to each other, echoing conversations long since finished.

“Undyne thinks the echo flowers are creepy.” Frisk mused, “But I think it is fitting that they are here on the surface with us too. It reminds me of life in the underground. Our life has changed so much and the world we live in does not look the same… but I think it is a lot better this way.”

“I could not agree more.” Sans nodded sagely. “Now that Humans and Monsters are no longer at war, there is less work to do. There are no puzzles to set up and no areas I have to guard. I can just be lazy and Papyrus will have no reason to scold me.”

Frisk giggled. “He’ll still find a reason to complain.”

Sans shrugged, giving her a wink. “Maybe I should leave my sock lying around the house. That will entertain him when he’s bored. It’s hilarious, it works every time!”

“Didn’t he refuse to move it? I remember seeing all those post it notes attached to the sock.” Frisk giggled.

“Yep. I left some notes too but our argument remained stationary.” Sans quipped.

Frisk grinned, suddenly noticing that Sans was looking a little more flustered than normal. His cheekbones were tinged a light blue and despite it being late in the evening, she could see he was actually looking nervous. “Is something wrong?” She asked with concern. “What is the matter?”

“Um…welp, see I was wondering…do you want to… leave your sock lying around too?”

Frisk furrowed her brow in confusion. “Leave my sock lying around?” She repeated.

“Yeah, we could both leave our socks lying around at my house…to annoy Papyrus. It doesn't even have to be a sock either...it could be a shirt or even a shoe.”

Putting her hand to her mouth to stifle her giggles, Frisk asked, “Sans Skeleton, are you asking me to move in with you? Because that’s what leaving clothes at your house entails. Unless…I am mistaken of course, but is that what you are trying to imply, in your usual roundabout way?” 

Sans looked down awkwardly, cheekbones even bluer. “Only if you want to, of course. I won’t force ya but I think if you lived with me and Papyrus, it would make things more interesting. Papyrus likes you and I really really like you. We could all have fun and be lazy together.”

Frisk smiled softly. “Yes, I think I would like to live with you. I spend so much time with you at your house anyway; I might as well live and sleep there too. The tricky part will be just breaking the news to Mother and Father. I know it’s been a few weeks since we returned from the Human Kingdom but I think Mother is still worried about our relations with Humans. She is protective.”

Sans sighed in annoyance. “But there hasn’t been a Monster death in a very long time.”

“Don’t worry; between the two of us I think we can convince her.” Frisk explained. “All you have to do is to tell Father and Mother your intentions and we’ll be fine. It will be easy.”

“Frisky, I think we have different definitions of the word easy.” Sans said, nervously.

The young woman sighed, tossing the blanket off of them and stood up. She took her Skeleton’s hand and gave him her most sincere and determined smile. “Just like everything we’ve done, we’ll do this together.” Frisk promised. “Now come on Sans, I happen to know a shortcut home.”

Sans shrugged, smiling proudly as he took her hand and felt that rush of red teleportation magic, courtesy of Frisk. They were off to begin a life together where Humans and Monsters coexisted and things were peaceful and while it was far from perfect, it was the start of something great.


End file.
